


Ultimatum

by VincentsEyebrows



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Bottom Kaiba Seto, Eating Disorders, Harassment, M/M, Mental Health Issues, More warnings inside, Past Child Abuse, Recovery To Relapse, Self-Harm, more characters will make cameos, seto has an abusive past that comes back to screw him over
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:20:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25169098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VincentsEyebrows/pseuds/VincentsEyebrows
Summary: Seto never got over his past, but at least he had managed to push it out of his mind. Until Noah forced it back. Oh, and Yugi is fucking flirting with him. This is not what he had in mind for the aftermath of Battle City.Or the one where Yuugi overestimates Seto’s ability to take care of himself.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 33
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Seto bottles things up until they explode into various mental issues. Do not read if any of the following topics are triggering to you: eating disorders, depression, traumatic experiences. This story gets really dark before it gets better. More might be added as the story progresses.

_ dinner at 7.00? ;-) _

Kaiba’s eyes averted from his computer screen to his mobile phone, his brows furrowing as his eyes refocused on the smaller screen. A soft smirk tugged at his lips and he untucked his jaw from his palm to pick up the phone. 

_ Sure. I’ll pick you up.  _

He placed the phone back down and checked the time. It was five o’clock. He momentarily wondered whether he should change, then decided against it. He didn’t want to show too much interest.  _ Just how much is too much?  _

He leaned back against his chair. After the end of Duel City, Yugi had become-  _suggestive_ , to say in the least. To Kaiba’s great irritation, they begun to text, yet he would be lying if he said that he didn’t find Yugi interesting.  _ Not the soft-eyed moron _ , he added in his brain. The one that could truly beat him in a duel. He still couldn’t put his finger on that situation, but he chose to cleverly ignore it until he could figure out more. He sighed deeply and tried to focus on his computer again, the black and green command screen burned to the back of his eyes. 

_ what are you doing right now? >:3 _

Kaiba’s brow shot up in irritation. That moron. He just couldn’t let him work. Frustrated, he decided that unless he wanted to show up with a severe case of eye strain, he would have to stop his programming. He pushed the screen down with one hand, making a mental note to continue this after dinner. 

_Trying to work. You clearly have never heard of that._

_ horrible!! are you really working before our date?!! _

Kaiba scoffed and ignored the message. He pushed back with his feet so his chair would roll away from his desk. He would- Another bling. 

_ don’t ignore me!!! _

He begun to regret giving Yugi his number. He slumped back against his chair and picked his phone up with both hands. 

_ You’re beyond irritating.  _

_ how scary!! where would u like to eat? _

_ Up to you.  _

Kaiba waited for a few moments, then blinked confusedly. 

_ are u alright, Kaiba? _

_ What kind of nonsense are you on about? _

Kaiba knew exactly what he was on about. Things had changed ever since Noah’s games. Much to his embarrassment, Yugi had managed to witness a side of him that he wouldn’t had shown to anyone. It was what led to their first  _ date _ . Kaiba cringed at the word and closed his eyes. 

The  _ stupid _ Yugi had been visiting Mokuba. Their friendship had become tighter than what Seto would had thought, for he now had to tolerate regular visits from dog and co. 

All his memories had yet again started to unsettle him, flowing back bits by bits ever since Noah forced him to remember. His sleep had lessened and his heart was constantly tight. Thumping against his chest. What a fool he was, letting the ghosts of the past bring him to tears. In private, _of course_. Until Yugi came around. 

Having woken from a particularly nasty nightmare, Isono had to check on him, after he apparently heard him screaming. His mind had been completely blank at the time and he pushed and pushed at Isono, until yelling was echoing through the mansion and inevitably alerted Mokuba. 

His memory worked in flashes, from his chest tightening to his eyes burning with tears, to Mokuba kneeling by his side on the floor and squeezing his head against his tiny chest. Yugi had stood by the door and watched in bewilderment. After he had managed to calm down, he felt so humiliated his face burned. That bastard. Mokuba had insisted he spent the night with them, even gone out of his way to press on his buttons by saying that he would feel way better if he could watch over his brother. The little shit, he knew he was Seto’s only weakness. After hours of playing board games together, and almost choking Yugi out of anger twice, he had noticed that his eyes had held a sharp look to them. 

He almost jerked out of his chair when his phone blinked again, realising he had drifted off without ever responding to Yugi. It was six o’clock. He pushed out of his chair and walked to his room, aiming to freshen up a little. 

* * *

Seto gently tucked his chin into his palm, gazing at Yugi sitting across him on the table. He was leisurely dressed, sporting a deep blue sweater with some brand’s logo embroidered on it. It looked at least a decade old. It brought a smile to Seto’s face. He had skipped his over-the-top white coat, instead choosing to wear a bomber-type leather jacket over his usual turtleneck and leather pants. He had also skipped the little straps that usually decorated his arms and calves. The restaurant was small and inexpensive, as Yugi had insisted, yet the atmosphere was warm and everyone spoke quietly. 

“What were you working on before coming here?” Yugi asked, taking a long sip from his wine before setting it down, gingerly mimicking Kaiba’s stance and resting his face in his hand as well. It made his companion furrow his brows and rest both hands on the table. 

“Programming. I was looking to enhance the Solid Vision. I wonder if it can affect the players’ sense of temperature.” He dared a faint smile, which Yugi returned in earnest. 

“That would be a terrific addition. Quite literally.” He laughed deeply, a sound that had Seto easing his eyes for added focus. He lingered his hand across the table and turned the CEO’s hand upside down, his knuckles gently resting on the tabletop as Yugi begun to trace leisure patterns on the inside of his palm. “Don’t overwork yourself.” 

The hint of concern in Yugi’s voice made Kaiba’s defences rise for once more, his hand flipping back over. “I’m not overworking myself. Don’t tell me how to run my company.”

They both grew quiet as the waiter placed their plates in front of them, not wanting the growing tension between them to be transmitted. To Seto’s great disappointment, Yugi resumed the argument in a quieter voice. 

“You don’t look good.” 

“Huh?” Kaiba stifled a laugh and picked up his fork, lazily messing around his plate. “Over me already, Yugi?”

“That’s not what I meant!” Yugi flushed with frustration. “You just look so tired. And you’ve lost weight. Do you even begin to sleep-“

“Yugi.” Kaiba cut him off, feeling a vein pop in his forehead. “Do not give me all that. I’m not here for a scolding. I could go to Mokuba or Isono for that.” 

“Sorry.” Yugi whispered in earnest and picked up his fork. “Let’s talk about something different.” It was half hearted, but he could tell it satisfied Seto. However, it would do little to cease his worry, especially when they begun to walk out of the restaurant about a couple of hours later, Seto’s food technically untouched. Yugi dared to wrap an arm around his waist as they walked.

“Hold up.” Seto looked slightly disoriented, a gentle quiver in his voice that made its way back in the form of a hitch of his breath when Yugi pulled him a bit closer to his side. “I will call Isono.”

“No, let’s walk a bit. If you’re not tired.” Yugi suggested with a smile and Seto nodded. The night breeze was pleasant, albeit wintery, and the streets were quiet. It had been months since Seto had taken a leisure stroll without journalists swarming around him like flies. In the darkness, he placed his hand on top of Yugi’s, on his side, his touch light and uncertain. He felt his fingers curl into his own, and that was all the reassurance he needed. 

“Hey, Yugi.” He broke the silence after a few minutes. “I don’t need your pity.”

Yugi halted to a stop and circled around Kaiba, now standing in front of him and repositioning their hands to hang between them. “Do you mean: do you like me or do you feel sorry for me?” There was a cheeky grin to Yugi’s face and a click of Kaiba’s tongue. 

“This is not what I said-“

“Seto Kaiba.” Kaiba opened his mouth and Yugi hushed him again. “How dare I interrupt you, right?” He could see the CEO fume with irritation mixed with coyness. “Do not underestimate my judgement.”

“What the fuck does this mean?” Seto hissed, his head swimming with confusion. 

“It means,” Yugi pulled Kaiba’s hand to his face and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles. “That you should call Isono because you’re slowly turning into an iceberg.”

“You bastard-“ Seto did his best to tame his  racing pulse. He pulled out his phone and pressed number 2 on the speed dial with great difficulty. Yugi was right, he was freezing. “Isono, come pick us up.” He flipped his phone shut before his housekeeper could answer. Seto went to pull his hand free, but Yugi tightened his grip. “What are you doing?” 

“Let me hold it, until Isono gets here.” Yugi suggested without a hint of his usual intensiveness. It made Kaiba’s chest throb with an alien sensation. He found gestures easier than words, so he slowly wrapped his arms around Yugi’s neck, who, in return, wrapped his own around his narrow waist. He pressed his face into spiky hair and let out a heavy sigh, just relishing in the warmth of Yugi’s body, willing his body not to sway, until the blinding whiteness of Isono’s headlights made them withdraw regretfully. 

“I’ll walk home, it’s around the block.” Yugi spoke gently and Kaiba nodded, unable to formulate anything of intelligence. 

“I’ll see you soon.” He said in return and slowly sunk into the backseat of the car, where Isono held the door open for him. Their eyes stayed connected until the door shut and the dark windows obscured Kaiba’s form. He slumped heavily into the cushion and draped an arm across his stomach, feeling uncharacteristic dizziness and a growing headache as the engine begun to rev. He finally let exhaustion show in his voice as he spoke slowly. “Isono, turn up the heat.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ Don’t you think Kaiba was acting weird? _

“Yugi!” 

Yami rolled onto his chest, hair wild and tussled, after a very deep slumber. He had come home late last night, and by the time he was preparing for bed, Yugi had been asleep and he couldn’t bring himself to ask him to switch. “How long have you been awake?”

_ Not too long. Studying has been killing me. It was actually nice to be able to take a break.  _

“I see.” He grumbled, laying on his side as streaks of sunlight assaulted his sensitive irises. He was not used to waking up like that. He was usually the one sleeping deep inside their mind, engulfed by shadows and quietness. “I told you not to peek when I’m out with Kaiba.”

_ But!  _ Yugi grunted, letting his head rest against the wall as he sat on the bed, squeezing in somewhere by his other self’s legs.  _ You know he was acting weird.  _

“You’re just not used to seeing him like... that.” He tried to explain, but Yugi shook his head frantically. 

_ This is not what I meant. He seemed ill.  _

He narrowed his eyes intently. So it wasn’t just him. He had a bad feeling. 

_ I hope he’s alright. He must be overworking himself.  _

* * *

Kaiba lazily rolled out of his bed, his head heavy with a dreamless sleep. The floor felt cold against his feet and he ached for a warm shower. Without much thought, he went straight for his en-suite bathroom, turning the shower to the warm setting and gingerly extending his arm to feel the temperature. He was freezing. Again. Impatiently, he stepped underneath the hot stream and closed his eyes, his skin growing goosebumps from the quick change of temperature. He took a moment to look down and inspect his body, curling his fingers against the spot where Yugi’s hand had been last night on his waist. A gentle smile carved its way to his face. Then he traced down to his protruding hipbone, which seemed to jut out a bit more than he remembered it too. From there, his gaze travelled to his wrists, to inspect them in the nude, since he was always wearing long sleeves, one way or another.

A loud thump on his bathroom door had him jump and nearly slip against the shower’s tiles, his back digging painfully into the wall behind him as he caught himself. 

“Seto!! Isono made pancakes!!” 

Mokuba’s shrill voice pierced through his ears and he found himself grunting. “I’ll pass!”

“But, Seto-“

“I said I’ll pass!” He yelled again, the effort almost making him dizzy. He turned the water down and listened for Mokuba’s retreating steps. Good. He stepped out of the shower, dripping water all over the floor without much care, until he could wrap his towel tightly against his body and return to his mattress. He finally picked up his phone, going through the unread messages. A few were business related, so he told himself he would read them after breakfast. He scrolled down to what he knew would be a myriad coming from Yugi. 

_ just got home. goodnight.  _

_ it was great today.  _

_ are u asleep? _

_ i cant sleep. we will be visiting mokuba this evening.  _

If Seto could groan any louder, he would had. He texted out a quick response. 

_ What does “we” mean? _

_ me, jonouchi, anzu and honda!  _

_ Don’t bother me.  _

_ u are unbearable sometimes >:3  _

_ Sue me.  _

Kaiba tossed his phone on the bed and willed himself to get dressed. In a few minutes, he was walking to the kitchen, where the smell of fresh made food assaulted his senses. His stomach growled so loud he mentally scolded himself. He sat down on the table across Mokuba and picked up his cup of coffee. “Thanks for the coffee, Isono.” 

The housekeeper nodded mechanically. 

“Took your vitamins, Mokuba?” There was a small plate with a couple pills by his mug, and an empty one by Mokuba’s plate. Somehow, his little brother had convinced him that they were both too pale and needed these. Seto would had lied if he said he saw a point to it, but he knew that if he passed up on them, Mokuba wouldn’t touch his either. 

“Yes, Seto.” Mokuba grumbled, poking around his plate. Seto noticed that his behaviour shifted after he showed up. “How is the solid vision programming going?” 

“Don’t ask me things you already know. I know you went through the files last night.” He responded simply, the position of his laptop had changed a tiny bit. 

“I’m just trying to talk to you.” Mokuba gazed firmly into his brother’s eyes. “It’s Friday tomorrow.” He said, expectantly. 

“And?” Seto was beginning to feel irritated by the passive aggressiveness in his brother’s voice. 

“And?!” Mokuba cried out and slammed his hands on the marble top. “On Fridays we spend time together, we go to the movies and-“

Seto mentally kicked himself. He hadn’t realised how quickly the days had rolled by since last time. “We will go to the movies.”

Mokuba seemed to calm down just a little bit. Kaiba felt his exhaustion return to him bit by bit. After a few moments of silence, he mustered up the courage to start another topic of conversation. “How was school this week?”

* * *

Havoc. If there was a way to describe the state his mansion was in, that would be havoc. The stupid dog’s yelling pierced through his eardrums from down the corridor, and the spike headed fool’s cries made his blood boil. He had god damned work to do. He bit into his tongue and breathed deep through his nose.  _ Mokuba was having fun.  _

The sound of multiple glasses shattering broke him out of his trance again. He shoved his chair back and stood, ignoring the way his vision momentarily blacked out as he marched to the door mechanically. He shoved the door to the playroom open and took a step inside. “I’m trying to work. If you would be kind enough to die, Jonouchi, that would be greatly appreciated.”

“Oi, you bastard!” Jonouch leapt out of the couch and strutted towards Kaiba in full offence, confident that Honda would grab him before he could reach point of conflict and avoid it altogether- but he underestimated his own speediness as his hand found Kaiba’s wrist and he fully prepared himself to be thrown across the floor and be sent to the ER with a dislocated shoulder. To his great shock, it never came. Instead, he felt Kaiba’s impossibly tall body sway to the side with the force of his grip, the side of his head ramming unceremoniously into the doorframe. “Oi, you bastard...” this time Jonouchi was quiet, concerned. 

Kaiba masked his pained hiss with a breathless cackle, aiming for quick retaliation. “That’s a rich vocabulary you’ve got there, dog.” His head rung and the light coming from the room’s lamp was enough to make him feel nauseous. 

“Are you sick, rich boy?”

The worry in the idiot’s voice made his anger spike. He yanked his arm out of his hold and shoved at his chest, putting a few inches’ worth of distance between them. He did not respond. Eyes were prickling him like needles, all over him, watching intently. He couldn’t even come up with a cutting insult. 

“Seto,” Mokuba whispered, standing up and stepping between Jonouchi and his brother. “Why don’t you join us? We will order-“

“I have no time for this, Mokuba.” Seto walked out without another word, leaving his brother in stunned silence. He would have to apologise to him later. Things around him begun to spin as he stumbled across the corridor. His stomach grumbled so loudly he could barely hear his thoughts over it. He was so cold and his knees shook. 

I don’t need them. I’m better than them. They can drink and laugh all they want...  Seto forgot where he was going with that. He needed to rest his eyes, because the world spun unfairly hard. A razor sharp pain cut through his skull, and the next time his eyes refocused, he was lying vertically on the very same corridor. The carpet was surprisingly nice, and he mentally congratulated himself for his choice, plush and soft and- his head was not on the carpet. 

He whipped his eyes up to inspect who it was that found him in such a humiliating state, but the soothing hand on his forehead answered his questions before his sight could. “Yugi?” He whispered, hoarsely, now wondering how long he had been lying there, with his head on the man’s lap. 

“You said you weren’t overworking yourself.” 

Kaiba chose to ignore the statement altogether as he pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning into the heels of his hands. The ceiling spun less than before. 

“Kaiba-“

“Can we just get the hell out of here?” Kaiba sounded so exasperated that Yugi could do little else than nod reluctantly and watch as the other stood on wobbly legs, too proud to accept any help. 

* * *

“This is the worst thing I’ve eaten.” Kaiba grumbled as he pierced another takoyaki ball with his toothpick and brought it to his mouth.

“Sorry, can’t afford to cater to your highness.” Yugi’s eyebrows shot up, along with his shit eating grin that had Seto rolling his eyes. 

They had walked to the centre of Domino City, only to realise that in all that hazy confusion, Seto had forgotten his wallet and they had to make do with whatever Yugi was carrying on him. Which was exactly how they ended up sitting on the end of some concrete-made steps outside of an apartment complex, sharing street-made takoyaki. 

After a moment of silence, Seto cackled. “It’s actually not that bad.” He admitted in mild defeat and poked around some of the sauce left on the bottom of the little paper dish. The dizziness had subsided considerably and he felt a pleasant calm settle within him. Maybe it was the way their knees brushed together and their shoulders touched, but Seto realised he was sincerely enjoying himself. He watched as Yugi ate his last ball of takoyaki. 

They stayed quiet, the buzzing of the city having quietened down considerably past midnight. Seto had a look around, the square basically empty, bar from the man with the takoyaki cart and a couple drunk teenagers. Reluctantly, he let his chin rest on Yugi’s shoulder, his forehead gently pressing against his cheek. Yugi’s head turned and he kissed him gently at first, a small brush of the lips to test the waters. The stiffness of Seto’s movements gradually melted into what seemed to be a more confident yet very much experimental kiss. They pulled back almost simultaneously, sparing a moment to look at each other- before they returned for another, deeper, more assured kiss. 

Yugi let his hand rest on Seto’s knee, yet quickly regretted his decision when he felt his partner shift. Instead, he settled for holding his hand. Kaiba was first to retreat, his eyes focusing on their shoes for a moment, before they flicked back to Yugi’s face. “You’re an annoying kisser, you know?”

His eyes widened incredulously, then he burst into bouts of laughter. “That’s a first one.” Seto’s furrowed brows made him laugh more, the slight annoyance on his face was priceless. 

“Shut up.” He found himself pressing firmer into Yugi’s side, the nightly breeze making him shudder. He let out a sigh as he felt an arm around his waist. “Is Mokuba angry at me?”

“No.” Yugi pressed his face into the back of Kaiba’s head. “He’s just worried.”

Yugi’s phone begun to buzz in his pocket. He gingerly shifted to take it out of the tiny confinement of his jeans and stared at the number. “Speak of the devil.” Seto gave him a knowing look. “Hello?” 

“Are you with Seto?”

“He’s here. He’s alright. Yeah, we’ll come home later-“

“Tell him to go to sleep. He has school tomorrow.” Kaiba interrupted and Yugi couldn’t help the smile tugging on his lips. 

“Seto says you should go to bed.” The string of curses on the other line amused them both. “Goodnight, Mokuba.” 

“That kid.” Kaiba grumbled, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. 

“He takes after you.” 

Kaiba nodded, his mind momentarily flooded with images of his brother. He took his own phone out of his pocket and found Mokuba’s contact and sent a single text. 

_ Sorry.  _

Kaiba wasn’t sure what it was that he was apologising for anymore.The amount of times he had screwed up in the past few months was beginning to reach record levels. To an extent, he was still doing so. He felt his chest heavy again and suddenly the smell of the food he had very much enjoyed just half an hour ago begun to churn in his stomach. 

“Hey.” 

Yugi’s voice pulled him out of his trance, a gentle hand settled on his cheek and made him turn. “Don’t slip into that head of yours again.” 

“As if you’re one to speak.” Kaiba grumbled and pushed Yugi’s hand away from his face. 

“You need to relax, Seto-“

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m not telling you what to do.” 

Kaiba didn’t answer. He picked up the empty paper dish and pushed himself off the mantel, walking to the closest garbage can to discard of it. His heart pummelled in his chest. His throat felt tight and he had to grit his teeth. His hands were beginning to shake. Instinctively, he yanked his arm out of Yugi’s assuring grip as he approached, taking a couple of steps back. He placed his other hand over where Yugi’s had been, almost as if it had burned through his skin. 

Yugi looked at him patiently. He held his hand out as a peace offering. “Let’s walk back.” 

Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose and held his breath for a few seconds, then let it out, slowly deflating. He took hold of Yugi’s hand decisively and begun to walk. He couldn’t bring himself to apologise and Yugi knew that much. Instead, the shorter of the two intertwined their fingers and that seemed to do the trick, Seto instantly returning to the down-tuned, approachable state that he had been into a while ago. 

A weird bleep echoed from Kaiba’s watch and he lifted it to his face, without much thought. He cursed under his breath. 

“What is it?” Yugi asked, perking his head up to look at the CEO’s wrist. 

“Alarm clock.” Kaiba muttered and pulled his hand away, to turn it off, then quickly returned it to its previous position, into Yugi’s warm hold. 

“Kaiba, it’s 2am.” Yugi said incredulously, his brows furrowing. 

“If I work between 9pm and 11pm, I can catch three hours of sleep until 2. Then I can work until 5, catch an hour’s sleep and be downstairs to have breakfast with Mokuba.” 

“And then he wonders why you’re in such a state.” Yugi still couldn’t help the small smile at the thought of Kaiba arranging his schedule around breakfast with Mokuba.

“Mind your own business.” His tone was lighthearted this time, a small grin plastered onto his face. 

“Say,” Yugi stepped in front of Kaiba, cutting his way short. “Your house is still half an hour away. You should spend the night at mine.” He could already hear the other Yugi screaming at him over the lack of sleep he was about to put their shared body through. “Then you can call Isono to pick you up in time for breakfast with Mokuba.”

“Last time I met your grandpa-“ 

“He will be asleep.” Yugi shot him a challenging look and Kaiba’s eyes narrowed. 

“Is there even enough space for both of us?”

“None of your neoclassical mansion with marble countertops, but there is a bed if you don’t fear a squeeze.”   
  


“Fuck you.” Kaiba rolled his eyes and Yugi grinned in triumph. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kaiba cant stand jonouchi for the life of him. yugi makes him feel better about himself when they’re together. 
> 
> for the record: kaiba is not sure about the different personality thing yet. When Yugi and Yami are alone together, i use different names, until kaiba can be made aware of the situation and do the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Seto let out a quiet sigh, having squeezed in the single bed with Yugi, who was currently on his back, with Seto half laid on top of him, one arm extending underneath the CEO’s neck and curling around his back, while Kaiba pressed the side of his face against his shoulder and let his arm rest across his chest. Their legs tangled together, their blanket half rolled down their shoulders, since there was plenty of body heat already.

Seto was dressed in what Yugi had described as moderately long shorts -which translated to boxer length for someone as tall as him- and a loose t-shirt. The same went for Yugi, but of course, the shorts didn’t look half as ridiculous on him.

The longer they stayed like that, the more futile Yugi’s plans to make Seto sleep seemed. Because hands wondered and mouths searched. In the quiet of the night, and to the soundtrack of rain gently tapping against the window, Yugi laced his fingers into brown locks and carefully initiated a kiss. With their hearts thumping against their chests, one kiss became two, two became three and so on. Seto planted his elbows on each side of Yugi’s head, the new position and the lessening of the craning of his neck allowing for bolder movement. His teeth caught Yugi’s lower lip, eyes flickering open only for a second, before lips met soundly and Yugi tilted Seto’s head to suckle on his tongue. Yugi propped his leg up between the CEO’s thighs, causing for him to lean forward, closer.

Kaiba disentangled one leg and slung it over Yugi’s hips, to straddle his waist, at the very same time that Yugi’s hands grabbed onto the small of his back and begun sliding up, exploring curiously yet gingerly. He felt his chest raise and fall as he traced up his sides, feeling the bumps of his exposed ribcage, yet not daring to go further, returning to his back with great discipline.

The annoying sound of Kaiba’s wristwatch broke the spell, but Yugi refused to let go. He curled his hand over Seto’s wrist as if to muffle it and leaned up for another kiss, showing no sign of care for the little device. He refused to believe that it was five already.

“Yugi.” Kaiba whispered, yet made no move to detach himself from the other’s hold. He simply sighed pleasantly at the feeling of his lips against his neck, planning gentle kisses down the side. “I have to call Isono, Yugi.”

Yugi sighed heavily and laid flat against the mattress, his hair splaying beneath him as he stared at Kaiba with a mix of longing and annoyance. He slowly lowered his leg against the mattress for once more, leaving space for Kaiba to move freely. He hovered over him for a moment, patting around the nightstand in the semi-dark for his phone. He grumbled and pressed his chin on Yugi’s chest, so he could type out Isono’s number with both hands. He pressed the device to his ear and closed his eyes, a pleased sigh escaping him when Yugi started massaging his scalp. “Isono. Come pick me up from Yugi’s.”

“Mr. Kaiba-“

Seto hang up and laid flat against Yugi, the smaller man’s hands moving to his shoulders in comforting motions, giving him a much needed massage. “Don’t fall asleep now.” Yugi reminded and he nodded, fully aware that he needed to get dressed. The distance was tiny by car. He slung one leg to the floor and climbed out of bed with uncharacteristic lack of grace, stumbling as he stepped into a pair of trousers in the dark, the other’s desk serving as his saving grace before he would end up on the floor. Long past the point of shyness, he pulled the t-shirt off his head and neatly placed it over the chair, then did the same for these ridiculous shorts, patting around in his boxers for his leather trousers. Yugi would be lying if he said that wasn’t an attractive sight, hair slightly disheveled and card necklace bouncing against his chest. He turned to his side to have a better view.

“Take a picture,” Kaiba grumbled, finally pulling his turtleneck over his head. “It will last forever.”

Yugi grinned and propped himself up on his elbow. “You should wear shorts more often.”

“Fuck you.” Seto was hastily pulling his trousers over his long legs. “Where is my fucking belt...”

“That’s my belt.”

Seto pulled it through the loopholes of his pants. “I said fuck you.”

Yugi’s sardonic grin fell as Kaiba buckled the belt over the last hole. These pants had never been that loose on him, his Kaiba Corporation belt had always been more decorative than anything. Kaiba’s phone started going off and he cursed, pulling his necklace out of his shirt and not bothering with his messy hair. Yugi got out of bed now to walk Kaiba downstairs, his eyes following his figure intently as they passed under the corridor’s lights, wondering how was it that he was only noticing now that his sweater was beginning to shag over his taut chest. He kept quiet and let him slip into his boots, holding his jacket in arm’s reach for him. “Don’t lose my belt.” Kaiba warned, slipping his arms through the jacket and finally letting himself catch a breath.

“Same goes for you.” Yugi smiled. “I’m going to catch some sleep, make sure to do the same after Mokuba leaves for school.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Kaiba stood short by the door for a second, his hand on the handle. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I’ll see you around.” He pushed the door open before he could hear Yugi’s response- or see his amused face for that matter.

Seto Kaiba, CEO, one of the richest men in the world, sneaking out of a game shop in Domino City at five in the morning with tousled hair and wrinkled clothes. That piece of shit  had to be grinning.

* * *

“Seto!!”

Kaiba practically jerked up at the scream in his ears, his head nearly rammed into his laptop’s inclined screen and his chair slid back as he ground his feet to the floor- and hadn’t it been for Mokuba’s hands grabbing on his wrists, he bet he would had slid off the fucking chair. He cursed at himself, his avoidance of sleep had been getting beyond ridiculous. All these embarrassing situations- He cleared his throat and pushed himself properly into his seat.

“Seto... are you sure you want to go to the movies? I don’t mind if you’re tired.” Mokuba’s face darkened with worry and Seto shook his head. 

“No. Just let me have a cup of coffee and we’re good to go.” Mokuba didn’t seem convinced. He stood up and ruffled his brother’s hair, motioning for him to come to the kitchen. “I’m fine. Promise.” His voice was soft in a way that only Mokuba knew about. “Do you want something to drink?” He was moving around mechanically, putting ground coffee into the coffee maker and pressing start.

“Will you make me a milkshake?” Mokuba asked meekly- and his eyes brightened when Seto nodded.

“Come on.” Seto hooked his arms under Mokuba’s armpits and pulled him up, to make him sit on the counter, albeit with great difficulty- which he thankfully managed to mask. “What would you like in it?” He knelt down to take out their mixer and place it onto the counter.

“Chocolate ice cream. A banana- Strawberry syrup. Do we have sprinkles?”

“That sounds disgusting already.” Seto teased, yet begun to take out the ingredients that Mokuba wanted. It had been too long since he had made anything for him. “Have you come up with a movie?”

“Yeah, they play this robot film, it’s set in the future.” Mokuba swung his legs around, happily waiting as the sound of the mixer overtook their sense of hearing. Seto poured the frozen liquid into a large glass and gave it to his brother, then left the mixing jug in the sink, pouring some water to make sure the residue didn’t dry on the plastic. He then poured a cup of hot coffee for himself and leaned against the counter by Mokuba’s side. He relished in the rare quiet of the house, Friday was day off for all the house workers, so he and Mokuba could spend time together.

“Sounds good to me.” He sipped at his coffee. “I’ve been having a lot of things to do lately, is there anything-“

“Like dating Yugi?”

Kaiba choked on his coffee and Mokuba brought a hand up to pat at his back. “It’s only been a couple of dates.” He murmured, crossing one ankle over the other. “That doesn’t mean it’s anything serious.”

“You slept at his place.” Mokuba inquired with a smirk and Kaiba furrowed his brows in mild embarrassment. Had anyone other than Mokuba noticed? He trusted the kid to be smart, so he wasn’t all that surprised, but if a dimwit like Jonouchi knew- He felt a pang of irritation gnaw at his mind at the mere thought of the blonde.

“I did. You were meant to be sleeping.” Seto bit back and Mokuba gave him the middle finger. He shrugged and downed the last bits of his coffee. “Let’s go. Maybe we can catch two movies.”

Mokuba cursed happily and jumped off the counter, following after his brother to their garage to choose from their cars. Seto paused at the entrance, seeing as Mokuba was still holding his milkshake. “If you get that shit on the seats, you’re going to scrub them clean.”

“You can just get Isono to go have it cleaned.”

“That is beyond the point, Mokuba.”

* * *

The evening left Seto pleasantly buzzing. It was a rule that on their leisure day, he was to receive no business related calls or messages. It worked as a catalyst to easing his mind and allowing him to have fun. After their movies, they went to the arcade and played for hours on, mainly fight games and first person shooter. Seto would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed this feeling of lightness in his chest.

Once they settled back into the car, Mokuba holding a huge stick of candy floss despite the initial threats, Seto’s phone went off with a text message. He pulled it out of his pocket, and before his brother could whine about it, he held his hand up. “It’s not business.” 

Mokuba’s face darkened with mischief. “So it’s Yugi. Let me see, let me see!” He tried to wrestle the phone out of Seto’s swatting arms with one hand, the small ordeal shaking the sports car for a solid minute until Kaiba groaned and shoved it back into his pocket.

_ “You’re insufferable.” _

It was said in unison and Mokuba started laughing, to which Seto couldn’t help a tiny smile as he turned the keys on the engine and pressed the engine on button, about to manoeuvre out of the parking slot.

Stuck in the traffic of Domino city, Mokuba ended up falling asleep, and Seto ended up resting his head against the window and taking out his phone. The cars hadn’t moved in twenty minutes. 

_ how was the evening out? _

_ Very fun. Almost as fun as being stuck in traffic. _

_ it’s horrible at this hour, isn’t it? just came back from anzu’s. the bus ride was the worst.  _

_ It is. Mokuba is asleep and letting me deal with all the bullshit. _

Kaiba stared out of the window for a minute or so, contemplating whether to send another message. He was dead bored after all. 

I’m beat. Hope you had fun with Anzu. 

He stared at the message long and hard, contemplating whether to send it or not. He hit send. 

_ oh! it was great. i think u should sleep once u get home.  _

_ properly sleep.  _

Kaiba smiled at himself. 

_ Dully noted.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kaiba and yugi r getting a bit spiceyy in this chapter, yami does not want to let him go home. seto decides to have some proper bonding time with his brother, mokuba picks up on things between him and yugi quicker than seto would had liked. as always give me comments!! they’re very motivational. feel free to tell me what u’d like to see, where u see this getting headed etc etc!! i love inspiration


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when things begin to get heavier. Mentions of child abuse and harassment, mentions of past self harm. Do not read if you are sensitive to these topics.

“Seto,” an elderly voice reached his ears, sending unpleasant tingles up his spine. He held his breath and counted to three. “Oh, Seto, come out.”

His gulp sounded like a billion decibels in his own ears as he stayed still in the kitchen cupboard, squeezed up, his waist cramping unbearably. The creaks on the floor indicated that he was close. The leery voice echoed again and he had to hold his breath to avoid gagging.

He felt paralysed. His breath begun to hitch uncontrollably. He pressed his hands firmly against his mouth to keep himself as quiet as possible. There was quiet again and he dared to allow himself a quiet gasp. The cupboard was yanked open and a hand locked around his ankle, forcefully dragging him out of his hideout and onto the plush carpet that he  hated.

“What will Mr. Kaiba say, if he finds you here? Your teacher is looking for you.”

The man knelt in front of him and wrapped his hand around his small ankle, his stinking breath too close for comfort. “Do you want to go back to the orphanage?”

Seto shook his head frantically. Anything but that place. “I’m sorry, Mr...”

“Oh?! How mean, dear Seto... you don’t remember my name.”

Seto yanked his leg free and retreated, folding his knees against his chest and staring at the man in distrust.

“You have to go back to your lesson. Mr. Kaiba won’t be pleased to see you slacking.” The man with the round nose-tip grinned at him and hovered about his face for a moment. “Ah, you’re so cute. I wish I had adopted you. We would have a great time.”

The man’s hand settled on his knee and Seto jerked awake, fully sitting up on his bed with a gasp of terror. His heart raced in his chest and he felt ill. He begun to pat around himself, to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, that his shirt was on, that his boxers were in place. The sickness kept growing and Seto felt his chest burn. He jumped out of bed and run to the bathroom, where he threw himself against the floor and choked unceremoniously, his knees throbbing from the impact as he hurled into the toilet bowl. He was drenched in sweat and nearly nothing came out, yet his body still insisted on convulsing for another few seconds.

He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and stood on wobbly legs. He flushed and walked to the sink, first washing his hands and then filling his mouth, only to spit the water back out until he felt better. He brushed his teeth again and looked out of the small, tinted window, trying to figure out what time it was. He didn’t want to sleep again, not like that. His heart beat anxiously in his chest and he couldn’t help himself.

“Shut up.” He cursed under his breath, his knees shaking as his ears begun to ring. He dug his nails into his arm and moved back into the bathroom, yanking open the cupboard by the mirror. He grabbed a single use, plastic razor and a pair of scissors, which he used to try and jam between the blades to break the plastic cover. His heart beat in his ears and his eyes watered, the effort seemingly more difficult than he remembered it to be. He bit on the inside of his lip when he accidentally cut his fingertips on the blades, redness beginning to ooze out of his skin- and that’s when everything in the room started coming into focus.

He shook his head frantically and threw the razor across the bathroom, standing on his feet quickly as he dumped the scissors into the sink and dashed out into the corridor, pacing down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. With his clean hand, he yanked the freezer open and took a bag full of ice cubes in his arms, moving almost mechanically as the residue ice begun to soak his shirt wet. It felt unbearably cold against his chest. He was back in his bathroom before he knew it, opening the cold tap on his bathtub and hacking open the bag of ice cubes with the same scissors from before. He flipped it upside down into the tub, wincing at the familiar sound of ice hitting porcelain.

When the bathtub was full to the brim with freezing water and ice, he turned off the tap. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Stand. Sit. Lay back. His chest tightened unbearably when he breathed deeply and ducked his head underwater, the unforgiving cold making his skin sting and his lungs constrict. He jerked back up in mere seconds and wrapped his arms around himself, broken gasps leaving his throat. If it wasn’t for the difference in temperature, he wouldn’t had noticed hot tears running down his face.

Rough hands grabbed at his shoulders and pushed him deeper into the water, his small arms waved frantically as the ice forced him to gasp and choke, moisture filling up his lungs.

Seto clawed harder at his thighs and leaned back again, his dump shirt impossibly heavy against his chest.

_ “You must never talk to me that way again, Seto.” _

He was underwater again, eyes staring into the strong lamp that blinded him. His body felt alien, his long legs could had been short for all he knew and his hands still childlike. The cold hurt more than anything. He felt like his fingers were about to fall off. His lungs strained again but he didn’t come up. He closed his eyes, the smell of that cigar assaulting his senses-

“Seto!”

A panicked cry and clumsy hands was all he felt before he was violently pulled out of the water, his head breaching the surface with a gasp, his lungs craving air like they had never tasted it before. His vision felt blurry from tears and lack of air, but he could tell it was Mokuba crying by his side.

“What happened?! What the  fuck happened?!” The boy sobbed out and pulled his brother’s head against his chest, hugging him with shaking arms. His brain was only now registering to the scattered razors on the floor and the horrifying stench of bile. Mokuba swallowed thickly when Seto clung to him, getting his pyjamas wet and robbing him off all warmth.

“I’m sorry, Mokuba.” He all but croaked it out. “I had to stop it.”

The younger Kaiba knew exactly what that meant. “Come on out.” He whispered and took a step back, but Seto didn’t let go. “Seto, you’re going to pass out in there. Do you want me to call Yugi?”

“No.” Seto whispered out, surprisingly level headed as he withdrew his arms, sniffing in a cry. “That’s the last thing he needs to see.” He pulled himself up on wobbly legs and almost snapped at his brother for trying to steady him. He was sobering up way too quickly.

Mokuba could only stare in horror at the white shirt clinging drenched to Seto’s body, making every rib that poked out all the more prominent, his arms had shrunk in size and now he understood why Jonouchi had just shoved him against that door. “Seto… Seto what’s going on?” He felt lost, his voice coming out in an exasperated shrill. “You’re getting bad again. Why? Do you remember what happened last time-“

“Enough, Mokuba!” Seto hang his head low in shame and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a plush towel over his shoulders as his teeth begun to chatter. 

“I knew it. I should had known from the moment you-“

“From what moment, Mokuba? It’s been like this for months!” Seto barked out, fully losing composure as dizziness begun to take over.

Everything begun to click in Mokuba’s head. The bathtub. Battle City. The panic attacks. “It’s because of Gozaburo. It’s because of him.” He shook his head in disbelief. He felt anger explode in his chest. Just for how much longer would that man torment his brother? A pang of guilt begun to settle inside. “Seto, please, talk to me.” 

“I’ve nothing to say.” His wet clothes were becoming unbearable. He clicked his tongue in irritation when his knees begun to shake. “I need to change, Mokuba.” He tried to ease his tone, fully aware that he was unloading an unnecessary amount of pent up frustration on his brother.

“I’ll wait outside.” The boy whispered and reluctantly turned his back to Seto, but not before picking up the half broken razor, for good measure, and walked to the corridor. He closed the door behind him and let his head rest against it. He started rubbing his tear-prickled eyes with one hand. He didn’t know how to handle this again. It had been years since Seto got that bad. He felt the ground shake underneath his feet. He needed to breach the topic in a way that wouldn’t make Seto feel uncomfortable, which wasn’t easy, considering he was an unmovable iceberg when it came to opening up. His train of thought cut short when he heard him call and he immediately opened the door and went back inside.

Seto sat on the bed now, wearing the thickest sweater he knew he owned and a pair of silken pyjama pants. The mass of wool did little to mask the bony structure of his shoulders and his sunken face. He slowly took a seat across him and folded his legs in a similar fashion. He reached out to take one of Seto’s hands in his own, to unfold them from his chest and make him seem a bit more approachable. He lifted his sleeve up and Seto let him, ensuring that there indeed weren’t any angry cuts etched into his skin. He did the same for the other wrist, then looked down, trying to come up with words. “Why, Seto?” Was all he managed to whisper before he gathered up the courage to continue. “Do you remember the time you were inpatient? It was the worst time of my life.”

Seto felt guilt clench at his heart. His eyes fluttered shut. “I know. It’s not going to get that bad.” He clenched Mokuba’s hand harder in his own. “That happened when I was sixteen. I know my limits now.”

“That’s beyond the point, Seto.” Mokuba’s eyes welled up again as his mind made awful parallels of the past and now. Tonight it was the pattering up and down the stairs that roused suspicion. In the past, it had been untouched food thrown straight to the bin. “You don’t have to push yourself to your limit before you stop.”

Seto took a deep breath. He hated to see Mokuba cry, but he hated it even more when he was the reason behind it. He pulled his brother into his arms and pressed his face into his mess of hair. “I’m going to get better.”

Glassy blue stared into Seto’s as he sat back. “No cutting either.”

“No cutting.” He repeated, letting his hand rub at Mokuba’s forearm. “No shrink.” He set his own side of the deal and Mokuba hesitated.

“Seto...” there it was. His unmoving stare that made whatever he said absolute. “I trust you.” Seto seemed relieved but Mokuba definitely was not. He shifted a little in his seat and looked to the floor. His brother sensed his discomfort immediately.

“Hey, what is it?” Seto whispered, his hand gently resting atop the boy’s knee.

“Can I sleep with you?”

He was taken aback. “Of course you can.” He whispered and pushed the bedsheets down. “Tell me if you get hot. I’ve gone a bit strong with the blankets.”

“Are you going to sleep in that?” Mokuba asked as he crawled into the empty space, leaning back andnodding in approval at the familiar feeling of Seto’s pillows.

“I’m not feeling too well.” He admitted, the shudders that wrecked his spine had only stopped when that impossibly warm sweater came on.

Mokuba nodded and turned to his side, his small hand resting under his cheek. Seto leaned over to turn the bedside lamp on, and a soft rustle of the sheets told him that his brother laid dow.

“I love you, Seto.”

“I love you too.” 

* * *

Seto woke up to the feeling of something soft tracing his skin, the movements too gentle and precise to belong to Mokuba. Warm rays of sunlight fought through his curtain and cut a strip of yellow light over the darkness that surrounded him. He curled up a little more, bringing his knees to his chest. He felt comfortable, warm and cosy. His bangs fell soft against his forehead and he just found himself unwilling to wake up. Slender fingers stroked his fringe back and he sighed quietly, a gentle thumb tracing up his brow, causing for it to twitch and curve downwards.

“Waking up any time soon?”

The voice Seto recognised as Yugi’s was teasing, so he decided to go along with it and shake his head. A quiet chuckle sent shivers up his spine, and soon, he felt soft lips caress his high cheekbone. “Yugi…” he grumbled grabbing the pillow into his hand and pressing it against his face. “Morning breath.”

Yugi ignored him. He pushed his hand into chestnut locks and gently massaged his scalp.

“When did you get here?” Came the muffled grumble from the pillow.

“About an hour ago. You slept in and Mokuba thought he’d call me.”

“Slept in?” Seto pushed himself on his elbow and looked around with drowsy eyes. He pat around his nightstand for his mobile phone and frowned when he realised it was gone. Along with all his alarms.

“Mokuba has put you on a mandatory day off.”Yugi informed, his hand continuing its leisurely trip down and between Seto’s shoulder blades, applying a bit of extra pressure when he heard a satisfied grunt. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a fucking brick, in case you couldn’t tell.” He murmured, enjoying the tension being worked off his joints. With a hint of added clarity, he turned his head towards Yugi, sleep tainted blue taking him in. He was in jeans and a knit-shirt and seemed relaxed, leaning his weight on one arm. “Let’s go get coffee.” He suggested, scooting a bit closer and lifting his head up from the mattress, to press his forehead against the other’s knee.

“You don’t seem convinced.” Yugi smirked and brought his hand down to rest on Seto’s nape.

“I’m on it.” He planted his hands against the mattress and pushed himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes for a few seconds, then stood. He walked quietly to the bathroom, groaning as he noticed that his hair had gone up in all directions. Whatever, he was working from home today. He leaned over the sink and begun to brush his teeth ungracefully, ramming his toothbrush into the inside of his cheek in more instances than one. He washed the toothpaste out of his mouth and then washed his face with cold water, which helped sober himself up from sleep. He walked back into the bedroom with his face pressed into a towel, then he stood short by the bed. “Right. Jeans.”

Yugi kept on watching him with an amused expression as he pulled a pair of black jeans out of his closet, then proceeded to drop his silky pyjama pants and replace them with firm fabric. Seto noted, much to his annoyance, that these jeans didn’t categorise as skinny anymore, as they shagged in all wrong places. He put on some socks and straightened his sweater, not bothering to change it. “Are you coming?”

Yugi pushed himself out of bed as well. He walked straight to Kaiba and grabbed his cheeks into his hands without a warning, pulling him down into a firm kiss. Initial confusion melted into a pleasant sigh as Seto wrapped his arms around his neck, making a mental note to ask Yugi to stay over next time. He didn’t mind waking up like this.

“What was that for?”

“I don’t need to file a written request to kiss the CEO of Kaiba Corp., do I?”

“Hm. I suppose you don’t.” Kaiba pulled his arms to himself. “But you are going to receive a lot of written complaints unless I get my coffee in the next five minutes.”

They went downstairs, Seto leading the way into the kitchen. He felt a happy buzz in his stomach as he poured them both a cup of coffee, he hadn’t seen Yugi in days. Work had gotten to hectic. “Do you take milk or sugar?”

“Both.” Yugi smiled sheepishly and took the canned milk and little jar of sugar from Seto’s hands. He made the drink the way he liked it, then took a sit on the stool across from him. “Oh, Mokuba left this for you.” He reached across the countertop, pulling close a covered plate.

Seto had to fight not to grimace at the sight of buttered toast with jam. He should had known that Mokuba would had taken all the extra measures to be up his arse from now on. He cleared his throat and took the plate in front of him. “Do you want one as well?” He took one uncertain bite into the toast.

“No, I’m good. Mokuba gave me the largest bowl of cereal when I came over.” He smiled sheepishly, soon taking a small sip of his coffee. They sat in silence, Yugi watching over Seto’s face as he quickly checked his phone for any business related updates. He looked worn, but he was still gorgeous.

Kaiba stood and collected their plates, trying not to think of the fact that he ate that entire slice. His stomach kept growling for more now and he squeezed his eyes shut as he poured some water over their mugs. Regrettably, he took out another mug, since he had already put the other one in the sink, and poured himself another cup. “Seconds?”

“I’m good.” He cast a glance outside, to the garden full of grass bathed in warm sunlight. “Do you want to sit outside?”

Seto looked outside as well. “Sure, let me get a jacket and our shoes. Did you bring a jacket?”

“Yeah, the blue one.”

“Be right back.” He walked to the room by the main entrance where their coats and shoes were kept. He picked out a pair of Chelsea boots for himself, along with Yugi’s sneakers. Then he draped two jackets over his elbow and headed back to the kitchen. He opened the balcony door and set the shoes outside, before turning to give Yugi his coat. He slipped into his shoes and stepped outside, satisfied that he felt efficiently warm. “We have a bench there.” He pointed to the far end of the garden, near some trees.

“I’d rather stay in the sun.” Yugi smiled at him and held his hand. He sat down on the grass and pulled Seto along.

“Only you would take sitting on the ground over sitting on a bench.” Seto tried to sound annoyed, but in all reality, he wasn’t. He crossed his legs on the grass and stretched his arms. Yugi shifted and laid back so he could use Kaiba’s leg as a pillow.

“I miss the sun in winter.” Yugi whispered, putting his hand up and watching the sun-rays filter through his spread fingers. He then looked up to Seto, to the way his head was partially obscuring the sun from that angle, creating a blinding halo over his head. A heavy feeling of nostalgia washed through him, yet he couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason. He reached out and patted around his cheek. Under the bright sunlight, he felt like him and Seto were alone.

“Penny for your thought.” Seto whispered, his hand coming to caress abstract shapes into Yugi’s chest, occasionally playing with the strings of his hoodie.

Yugi looked at him confusedly. “I can’t explain.” He sighed, planting his hand flat against the side of Seto’s neck. “It’s just... you.”

Seto laughed vibrantly, clearly caught off guard. “Unfortunately so.” Yugi smiled back at him and shook his head. 

“Fortunately so.” He folded his legs and crossed his arms over his chest, taking Seto’s hands in his. “It feels like fate brought us together.”

“God, I missed you and your occult shit.” He smiled and placed his hand on Yugi’s jaw, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on his lips.

Surprised by Seto taking the initiative, the smaller of the two broke into a dazzling smile. “You need to work less.” 

“Speaking of that,” Seto tried to retreat, but Yugi held his face and he chose to ignore the pain in his spine that the awkward angle was causing. “I have a business trip coming up.”

“Business trip?” Blonde strands bounced against his eyes as he shot up, nearly knocking his face against Seto’s. “How long?”

“Two weeks. America.” Seto smiled sheepishly. “I will be calling you as much as I can-“

“You’re going away for  _ two _ weeks.” Yugi murmured incredulously.

“It happens.” Seto shrugged dismissively, even though he felt the pure annoyance radiating from the other. His stoic look slowly twisted into a smirk as an idea surfaced. He sat on his knees, ignoring Yugi’s questioning gaze, before he swung one leg over his, straddling him and wrapping his arms around his neck. “Can’t stand a couple of days without me?”

“It’s not going to be a couple of days.” Soft hands grabbed at Seto’s jaw and pulled his face close. “I demand your time.”

“Demand?” His voice was laced with irony, but it didn’t get far, because he decided that Yugi looked too irresistible not to kiss when he was jealous. Yugi’s heart fluttered in his chest at the boldness of the man’s movements. He retaliated by moving his hands to Kaiba’s hips and giving them a light squeeze.

Kaiba let his hands run down Yugi’s sides and parted his lips, allowing for the other to deepen the kiss and press their chests together. He started feeling warm under all the layers of clothing. Hands slid down to his ass and gave it a firm squeeze, which had him snapping his eyes open in spite of the low grunt that left his throat. He pulled back with great reluctance, wanting to keep the contact going forever.

“What’s wrong?” Yugi seemed concerned, afraid to have overstepped some boundaries. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, of course not.” Kaiba quickly intervened, straightening his back to let his chin rest atop spiky hair. The hands went from his hips to his waist, where they held him securely. “It’s just... I’d rather we took this upstairs.”

“I understand.” Yugi leaned his head up to press a gentle kiss on Kaiba’s jaw. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He insisted, a quiet little sigh escaping him. “Have you ever been with a man before?” Seto asked, out of sheer curiosity, as he twirled one golden strand around his finger.

“A few times.” He smiled gently and begun massaging Kaiba’s lower back. “You?”

Seto nodded. “Not for a long time, though.”

“How come?”

He tried to gather his thoughts, now settling for rubbing his lover’s- Were they lovers? Rubbing  Yugi’s shoulder with one hand. “I had my share of it in high-school.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I had a lot of pent up anger and it had to go somewhere. Then, as me and Mokuba begun to settle a bit by ourselves, work came, I calmed down, found other ways to tire myself.” 

Yugi was itching to ask more questions but didn’t want to seem nosy. He pressed his lips into a tight line- But to his relief, Seto spoke.

“You can ask if you want to.” He felt a strange sense of vulnerability after the previous night. “Gozaburo knew. There weren’t many things you could hide in this house. He didn’t approve of it. Especially since I was to inherit Kaiba Corp. and  promiscuous wasn’t exactly the title the CEO was supposed to have.”

“Did he hurt you?” Yugi’s heart started beating in his throat when a long pause followed his question. He felt Seto’s body stiffen.

The ice-cold bathtub flashed behind his eyelids. All heat he had previously felt begun to drain. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Yugi flashed him a melancholic look, his brows furrowed, his mind going at a million thoughts per second. He cupped Seto’s cheek and made him look at him. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”

Seto gave him a reluctant nod and closed his eyes. He felt like they were betraying him. He cleared his throat. “Anyways. Do you want to play some video-games?”

Yugi sat back with a grin. “If you’re prepared to lose.”

* * *

Seto eased his eyes as he intertwined his fingers with Yugi’s, their knuckles grazing against one another’s before finally settling into a gentle lock. They laid side by side, shoulders touching together as they stared into the ceiling. They gazed into the concrete sky, a comfortable quiet making up for their drowsiness. They had stayed up all night, their eyes burning with the dryness of sleep deprivation. 

Yugi gazed at his wristwatch. Kaiba was leaving in five hours. 

“Yugi.” Kaiba broke the silence, his voice barely heard. “Back in the pre-finals. What we saw…” he paused for a moment, trying to wrap his head around the situation. “Was it real?” 

Yugi hesitated for a moment. He brought their joined hands to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss into their knuckles. “It was.” 

Kaiba took a few moments to think. “So, you aren’t Yugi.”

“No. Me and Yugi, we share this body.” He glanced down at his millennium puzzle. “That much is true. You’ve heard the story, but you never believed it.” 

“Can you blame me?” Kaiba laughed and Yugi couldn’t help a sheepish smile. 

“Guess not.” 

“It’s your eyes.” He propped himself on one elbow. “They’re more intense than...” He paused, furrowing his brows. Was he really following this idea? “Yugi’s.” 

“Anzu said the same thing.” He whispered, closing his eyes when Seto came to rest his face against his shoulder. 

“Where is he when you’re here?” Seto asked with genuine curiosity that had Yugi furrow his brows. He never had the chance to talk so openly about it. 

“He’s… in his room, if that makes sense. In his room in our head. We share some of our memories, but it’s mostly Yugi’s.” 

“Like a headspace?” Kaiba asked, to which the other shrugged. 

“I guess you could say that. I’m not sure myself. Sometimes he can see through my eyes or talk to me, give me advice.” 

“Fantastic. I’m dating a dead Pharaoh.” Kaiba muttered and rolled his eyes, purely exasperated. Yugi’s vibrant laugh rubbed off on him as he also snorted. 

“You should feel honoured.” He cocked his eyebrows and propped himself on his elbows now, ignoring the soft grunt Seto made when his head hit the mattress. “And show me respect.”

“Kiss my ass, your highness.” Seto teased back. “You’re dating a multibillionaire. Show some respect.” 

“Your beauty impresses me far more than your wealth ever could.” 

“I’m going to puke.”

In spite of Seto’s bitter reaction, Yugi knew he was blushing in the semi darkness. He brought his hand to his partner’s waist and slipped it under his shirt, warming his skin with tentative touches. “There are a lot of things in your world that I still can’t grasp. Technology being a big part of them.” 

“Perhaps I could get you some interactive instructions for computers.” Yugi could see grenades turn behind Seto’s orbs. “What is the other part?”

“You.” 

A deafening silence fell between them. Yugi spoke first, to elaborate on Seto’s growing confusion. 

“Don’t get me wrong, Seto.” His name tasted sweet on his tongue. “I may not understand, but I can feel when something is wrong. I don’t... I don’t have the right words to name it, but I can see the sorrow behind your eyes and I wish I could help it go away.” 

Kaiba licked his lips and desperately tried not to think. His chest throbbed again. “How much do you know about modern medicine?”

Yugi seemed to be caught off guard. “The bare minimum, I’m afraid.” He felt gravely disappointed with his lack of knowledge. “Wait- Are you sick?” He sounded horrified, deep purple eyes widening with worry. 

“Not in the way you’d think.” 

Yugi seemed unconvinced. 

“I’m not dying.” 

“You’re one of the only pieces of my memories I have.” He bit his lip. “Don’t shut me out. You’re all I have left to remind me of home.” 

Seto didn’t know where to begin. He couldn’t bring himself to begin with it either. The raw emotion in Yugi’s voice had his chest aching. “Here’s what we are going to do.” He brought his fingers to play with a blond strand. “I’ll tell you some things you might not understand. You’re not going to ask questions. You can ask Yugi about them when I’ve left.”

He nodded determinedly. This was the most he was going to squeeze out of Seto. 

“When I was sixteen, I was hospitalised after I fainted during a charity event hosted by Kaiba Corp.” He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. “I suffered quite a lot of strain in my heart. I was shut in a ward for a month, then was on strict medical supervision so I could work from home. I was diagnosed with anorexia.” He begun to pick at a small sliver of skin growing out by the side of his nail. “That- that thing, it has been with me since we got adopted by Gozaburo. I didn’t have any control over myself or my life for years. It gave me what I was missing. The feeling of control over my physical needs. Mokuba had to see me in a hospital so often. Seeing his brother in a ventilator for weeks on-“ Seto had to breathe deeply, tears prickling in his eyes. “In the end I could only cause him more trouble. I promised to keep him happy, away from our father, but I just… I just keep worrying him sick.”

“Seto.” Yugi interrupted gently. “I promised I wouldn’t ask you any questions, so I won’t.” He took hold of both of his hands. “As for Mokuba, you’re all he has. He takes care of you because he loves you. You’ve given him so many things and he appreciates it, all he wants is to see you happy.”

Kaiba seemed uncertain. He swallowed thickly in order to get his nerves under control again. He glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table. He had already packed from the previous night. He felt a pang of guilt for saying what he said, aware that Yugi did not know what was it that he was talking about or the seriousness of it all. He scooted himself closer and patted at Yugi’s shoulder, so they would lay face to face on their sides. He buried his nose against Yugi’s neck, feeling his Adam’s apple bob as he breathed. Warm hands slid up his back, resting underneath his turtleneck’s fabric. He tangled their legs together in return and gripped the back of the other’s shirt. Then Yugi begun to caress his hair and he found himself completely succumbing to the feeling of it, his entire body going slack with relaxation. 

* * *

  
Yugi was making breakfast, pouring milk into his bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. 

“Yugi.” 

“Wait, I’m taking these inside.” He mumbled, balancing a spoon between his lips as he carried the bowl and glass in his room, not wanting his grandpa to hear him talk to himself in the middle of the kitchen. 

He settled his breakfast on the desk and shut the door. “What is it?” 

“I had a talk with Kaiba yesterday.” 

“Did he tell you what’s bothering him?” He brought a heaving spoonful of cereal in his mouth. 

Yami furrowed his brows. Ever so observant. “Yes, but I didn’t understand half of it.” 

“Just like Kaiba to do that.” Yugi laughed, propping his chin in his hand. “What did he say?” 

“He told me he was inpatient when he was 16.” 

Yugi tried to think hard, to remember when it was that Kaiba wasn’t around in school. “What for?” 

“He called it anorexia. He said it gave him control over his life when he didn’t have any.” Yami saw the colour drain from his partner’s face. “What is it, Yugi? Is it serious?” 

“Kaiba is…” He tried to explain it to the best of his abilities, the best textbook definition he could recall from biology. He soon gave up. “He doesn’t eat properly.”

Yami seemed all the more confused. “Well, that can’t be too bad, right?” 

“No, it is.” He rubbed his forehead. “He eats too little. If he was hospitalised for it, it became life threatening. It’s like…” he thought. What is something that his partner could understand? “It’s like starvation, but he’s doing it willingly.” 

It all begun to click in Yami’s head. “That’s why he passed out a few weeks ago...”

“He what?!” Yugi cried out, looking up at Yami incredulously. “When did that happen?”

“That time Jonouchi shoved him. I found him at the corridor floor.” Yami murmured regrettably. “I thought he just hadn’t slept properly.”

“Then he’s already bad.” He washed the dryness in his throat with a sip of his juice. “You should talk to Mokuba.”

“No.” Yami shook his head persistently. “Kaiba would hate that.”

“Then do some research. The library, medical books- I don’t know.” He resumed his bowl of cereal. “Just keep an eye out on him.”

And that’s exactly what he did. The next few days, he was neck deep in medical books in the library. He had lied a couple of times to get a medical student discount as well. The more he read, the more disheartened he felt. In the breaks between his reading and eye-resting, he would text Seto. He would sit and listen to him complain about all sorts of company-related issues, understanding that he had no one to talk to on that trip. He knew Kaiba, there weren’t many people he trusted.

More than once, they would fall asleep on the phone at nights, even though Yami insisted that it would be too costly to keep such a long call from Japan to America. Yet, there was something comforting about hearing the other’s breath on the other line, especially after all of the research’s horror.

The nights that he wasn’t on the phone with Seto, he would stay wide awake, staring into the ceiling and feeling his heart clench painfully. The man was undoubtedly a piece of his past, someone that belonged with him. He couldn’t think of the possibility of losing him in such an unfair manner. Part of him wondered whether their fate wasn’t to be together after all, but to be mercilessly torn apart, in every life. He didn’t sleep well these two weeks.

He had long conversations with his other self, often resulting in staying up till the light came out. Then they decided that Yugi was more fit to have control of their body during the nights, seeing as he could put them to sleep easier.

Spending time with Jonouchi and the others became bittersweet. Kaiba was brought up as a conversation topic more often than not, especially in their stories from Duel City that had a lump growing in Yami’s throat. He would curse himself and retreat deep into his mind. He already thought of Seto in the way a mourning lover would. He just had to tell himself to trust him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. seto’s vulnerability is threatening to spill out and hes desperate to keep it inside  
> 2\. yami has no idea what anorexia is  
> 3\. seto feels like hes not worthy of yami’s love so he tries to push it away  
> 4\. hes still sober enough not to relapse into self harming
> 
> what did u think of this chapter!! A bit hazy, ik, but I wanted to capture the way a person in heavy restriction feels about the world moving around them, in fragments. just wanted to say that im in no way appropriating / fetishising the situation, as I’ve been in Seto’s state in the past and this feels like a good way to talk about it. thanks for reading!! Dont forget to leave kudos and comments <3


	5. Chapter 5

Yugi waited anxiously by the shop’s door, tapping his foot against the floor and gripping the keys in his hand. He had received Seto’s message about forty minutes ago, informing him that he had landed in Japan and that he was coming straight to his place. The mere suggestion seemed foreboding to him. Kaiba wouldn’t just miss the chance to see his brother after two weeks of being away. Their original plans had been for tomorrow, anyways. He closed his eyes at the sound of Anzu picking on Jonouchi from the upper floor. He had had no idea that Kaiba was going to turn up-

The headlights of the car snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly unlocked the game shop’s door and waited anxiously for Kaiba to show- his heart started thumping in his chest when he saw him, clad in a black, heavy coat and a scarf that could only compliment a neck as long and gracious as his. He opened the door and ushered him inside, having to use all his body power to shut it again. It was storming outside. He immediately turned around and grabbed Seto’s cheeks, pulling his face close for inspection, taking in his weary eyes and his cold-flushed nose and cheeks, his wind-tousled hair. He pulled him closer, in spite of his quiet grunt, and pressed their lips together in a firm kiss, an attempt to make up for all the kisses missed in the past two weeks. 

“I missed you.” Yugi muttered against his lips and Kaiba sighed, letting his arms drape over his shoulders. 

“I can tell.” He had no power to tease him, Seto had missed him immensely. He pressed their foreheads together and brought his chest against Yugi’s, desperate to warm up. A loud thump from upstairs had him tense and quickly retreat. 

Yugi answered before Seto could ask. “The guys are here. I thought you would be coming tomorrow-“

“That’s alright, you weren’t expecting me.” Kaiba spared him the apology and straightened up. “Are we going to stand in the middle of a dark game shop forever?”

Yugi shook his head incredulously, half expecting Kaiba to run off at the mere mention of his friends being around. “Let’s go.” 

They walked up the stairs and Yugi observed, making sure that Kaiba wasn’t wobbly when he walked or when he leaned over to unzip his boots and leave them by the stairs. He took his coat and scarf and hung them on the wall next to the living room’s entrance. 

“Wait up.” Seto paused by his coat and started digging into his pockets. Yugi left him to it and walked back into the living space, then he was quick to follow along. 

“Kaiba!” Anzu was the first to sit up and wave her hand at him. “How was your flight?”

“Did they serve you that disgusting kind of food they give to first class passengers?” Jonouchi yelped when Honda elbowed him. 

“It’s meant to be gourmet.”

Seto felt lost already. The tiredness of a twelve hour flight didn’t aid to the sharpening of his senses. “They did. Isono had it, I was trying to sleep.”

“Your chauffeur flies first class?!” Jonouchi yelled and moved to the edge of the sofa. “Damn, maybe I should work for you, rich boy.”

“He’s not just my chauffeur-“

“Seto, sit.” Yugi murmured warmly behind him and he nodded, cursing at himself for waiting for permission to take a seat on the empty couch. “Stop bombarding him with questions, he just flew over from the other side of the world.”

“I’m alright.” He placed a hand over Yugi’s on his shoulder and accepted a glass of water with the other one. “I brought you these.” He held out a few sealed, plastic pouches, about the size of his palms. “They’re the new cards that launched in America, they will take a while to come here.” 

“Thanks, Seto.” Yugi smiled brightly and sat down by his side, legs crossed- But before he could even begin to open them, Jonouchi jumped over them, snatching the packets from his hands. 

“Did you bring any extras?! I want a few too! What does this say? Bastard, it’s all in English!” He cursed indignantly and everyone in the room laughed. “Read it for me, you had a whole conference in English, you can read a couple-“

“Stop whining, you stupid dog.” Kaiba groaned in frustration as he snatched the packet from Jonouchi. He squinted to read the tiny letters against the vibrant background- And that’s when he realised his eyes were losing focus. A heavy silence fell in the room as anticipation grew. He felt panic stir in his gut. Was he about to faint in a room full of people? “I’m tired.” He left the plastic wrap on the coffee table and reached out for his glass of water, downing it in one go in an attempt to stir himself awake. 

“Oi! Bastard! Don’t just-“

“Kaiba…” Anzu interrupted, taking in his ashy skin. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m going to get something to drink.” He stood up and used all of his strength to walk in a straight line to the kitchen. 

Yugi threw everyone an apologetic look and dashed after him to the kitchen, just in time to place two hands on his waist and steady him against the counter. “Seto,” he whispered anxiously, taking the glass from his hand and leaving it in the sink. He brought his hands to his pale cheeks and tried to get him to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m tired.” His heart beat ridiculously fast in his chest. His peripheral vision was gone. “It’s the jet lag-“ 

“Sit back.” Yugi held his shoulders for support, Seto hardly having to lift his hips in order to sit on the countertop. “Do you want me to call your driver?”

“No!” Kaiba snapped, the yell having taken up a considerate amount of energy to manifest. “I just need a second.” He placed the pads of his fingers between his forehead and applied some pressure, trying to stop the room from spinning. How embarrassing. He heard Yugi refill his glass, the pristine noise of the tap flicking closed and a cup being pushed into his hand let him know perfectly well how worried he must be feeling. The dizziness wasn’t subsiding. His grip went lax and he cursed, snapping his eyes open when the glass got his pants and Yugi’s chest wet, moments before it shattered noisily into the tile floor. “Fuck!”

“It’s okay, don’t worry, I’ll pick it up.” 

“Don’t be an idiot.” Kaiba pushed himself off the counter and leaned over to start picking the shards up with Yugi- and that was it. His nausea took over and the room tipped before him, a crushing pain spreading from his right shoulder to his left and his vision kept flashing white in front of him. Yugi’s deep yet panic stricken voice pierced through his eardrums and he placed a hand over his mouth, feeling his stomach soar even though he knew there was nothing to hurl out. Moments later he felt multiple pairs of hands hoisting him on his ass. He could just about die of humiliation when someone he recognised as Anzu pushed his head between his folded legs and held it down. Curiously enough, he felt his vision slowly return to him. 

He must had stayed like that for entire minutes as he waited for his stomach to calm down and for his head to feel lighter. He heard the main door opening and closing multiple times and all the voices mixed together in his head. 

“Rich boy! I’m talking to you!”

Of course, he couldn’t get that one mixed up. Anzu gently pulled him up from the chest, and he finally focused on his surroundings again. He saw Yugi kneeling by his side, gripping his hand in an iron hold and looking pale as a sheet. Oh, how would he had loved to see that face in a duel-

“Kaiba!” 

His attention snapped back to the idiot kneeling in front of him, Honda somewhere by the phone in case they needed to call someone. 

“Did you hit your fucking head and lost the ability to communicate?”

Kaiba’s brow twitched. “Sorry, I don’t speak dog.”

A relieved laugh came out of Anzu, which gradually spread to the rest of the people in the room. “He sounds alright.”

Kaiba threw a glance at Yugi, who was also smiling a bit now. He almost mirrored his expression. 

“Eat these.” Jonouchi took two items out of a paper bag. One banana and a small bar of chocolate. “This, for your blood sugar.” He held the chocolate out, which Kaiba took with curious fingers. “And the banana helps the dizziness. Has some minerals or some shit.”

“How do you know all that, Mutt?” Kaiba opened the packaging of the chocolate and snapped a piece. 

“Football club in middle school. Remember, Honda?” He turned his head back, to glance at his friend. 

“We often got dizzy because we didn’t sleep a lot and sometimes showed up hangover.” 

Kaiba nodded meekly. He felt Yugi’s eyes burning against the side of his face. He swallowed deeply and ate the chocolate first, then the banana. Anzu left his other side for a second and came back with more water. 

“Sorry for the trouble.” Kaiba planted his hands on the kitchen floor and pushed himself up, disappointed to see that his legs were still wobbling. “It seems that I ended up interrupting your evening more than anything.” He run a hand through his fringe, clearing his throat in an attempt to purge his embarrassment. “I should get going.” 

Jonouchi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Stop playing tough, you rich asshole. We’re going.” He glanced at Anzu and Honda, who nodded in agreement. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this for you. It’s just that Yugi would be worried sick if he sent you off-“ 

“You’re totally doing it for him.” Honda threw an arm around Jonouchi’s neck with a wide grin and everyone laughed when the blond’s cheeks flashed crimson. 

“Honda, you ass!” 

Kaiba seemed to zone out as the two begun to bicker, a warm feeling spreading in his stomach. He vaguely registered to Anzu patting their shoulders and guiding them out of the living room, saying goodbye to them over her shoulder. Yugi went downstairs with them to lock the door. 

Seto took the liberty of stalking off to Yugi’s bedroom, tiredness getting the better of him as he flopped down onto the bed and hung his head forward. He let out a soft grunt to acknowledge the other’s presence when warm hands lifted his cheeks and pressed his face into his chest. 

“Seto,” 

The deep voice was music to his ears. “What?” 

“Are you alright?” Yugi threaded his fingers through the hair on Seto’s nape and gently massaged him there, watching his head tilt back and his eyes open drowsily, all defences lowered. 

“Marvellous.” His voice was laced with sarcasm, but he ended up mirroring Yugi’s smile. He leaned back when the other pushed at his chest, a quiet sigh escaping him when he felt Yugi hover over him, one knee between his legs and their chests pressed together, giving him much needed warmth. They kissed long and hard in the semi dark, Seto letting one of his fingers dangle from the shiny necklace adorning his partner’s neck. With a little sigh of frustration, he fisted his hands in Yugi’s jacket and yanked it off his shoulders, revealing his toned arms under a sleeveless shirt. He run tentative touches over them and bit on his lower lip, feeling a small sense of triumph when Yugi moaned into his mouth. 

“Was America that bad?” Yugi pulled back with a breathless chuckle, taking in Kaiba’s dead-set expression. 

“Horrible. No ancient pharaohs to make out with.” Eager, he begun to push on Yugi’s chest and tried to get on top, only to be shoved back with a little bounce against the mattress. He furrowed his brows when Yugi’s thumb traced his chin, parting his lips in silent challenge. “Boring meetings.” He narrowed his eyes and darted out his tongue, wetting his lips invitingly. “Offers for drinks, shareholders wanting to fuck the little CEO of Kaiba corp. into a deal.”

Yugi felt his skin crawl with a need so primitive his mouth hung open when Seto bit the tip pf his thumb. He tried to keep his head straight, but Kaiba was driving him crazy. “What, did you have any drinks with them?”

“Would that make you jealous?” Kaiba laughed breathlessly when Yugi’s teeth bared into his neck, on freshly exposed skin after impatient fingers pulled at his sweater. 

“Very.” He whispered shamelessly, between sucking and biting on his velvety skin. He grabbed on a pair of narrow hips, a shaky moan leaving him when Seto rolled them against his thigh. He pressed it firmly between his legs and ravelled in the choked gasp that followed. 

“Fuck you.” Kaiba grabbed his cheeks in both of his hands and kissed him roughly. “I missed you.” 

“Took you long enough.” Yugi cocked his brows and pressed their foreheads together, leaning his weight against Seto’s boney chest as he started to undo his belt with eager hands. “Is this alright?” 

“Fuck, yeah, it is.” He lifted his hips just enough for his pants to be pushed down his ass, his black boxer-briefs contrasting his ashy white skin. “Oh, shit, fuck,” he gasped lowly, feeling Yugi’s warm hand slip under his waistband and take hold of his semi erect cock, giving him a few tentative strokes. It had been so long his head begun to spin. Impatient and done with formalities, he yanked the other’s jeans open and pulled them down with practiced precision, yankint them down unceremoniously along with his boxers. They started kissing again, all composure lost as they begun to pleasure each other and moan shrewdly, mouth to mouth, still fully clothed for the most part. 

Yugi slung one leg over Seto’s hips to bring them close together, and as if they shared one mind, they both reached to stroke their cocks together, their hands meeting halfway and bumping awkwardly. Built up tension dissolved as they stared at each other for a long second, before they erupted into a whole hearted laugh. “A thank you gift, for the cards.” Yugi smiled cheekily at Kaiba’s challenging grin, prying his hand away before he pressed their hips together and gave out a slow thrust into his fist, squeezing them both into a gentle grip. Seto’s grin melted into an undignified moan and Yugi felt him press his knees together behind his back. 

Totally fixated on Kaiba’s fluttering eyelids, he stroked faster, pleased to see his composure cracking completely as his mouth fell open to elicit reluctant moans. His back arched and his trimmed nails dug into Yugi’s arms as he slowly lost himself in the waves of their upcoming orgasm. Wanton gasps mixed into one unintelligible mesh of sounds as they spilled together, Yugi’s free hand rushing up just in time to blindly yank Seto’s sweater up his chest to avoid staining it. 

Panting heavily, Seto threw an arm over his eyes, his sense of hearing slowly returning as the high of his orgasm subsided. Yugi’s kisses on his upturned palm brought him back to the world, caring and tentative. He slowly rolled his arm to splay on the mattress, looking around for something to wipe his chest with. All edge was leaving his body and he found himself painfully craving the sweet warmth of sleep. 

“I’ve got you.” Yugi pressed a quick kiss on the arch of his eyebrow and quickly slid off the bed, walking to his desk to grab a couple of tissues. He wiped his hand first and took another few for Seto. They cleaned up quickly and tossed everything in the bin by the bed. 

“Please tell me your grandpa isn’t home.” Kaiba murmured exhaustedly, his hands pushing his tight jeans off his ankles and onto the floor. 

“No, he’s with his friend, Rebecca’s grandad.”

“Right. I have no clue who that is.” He watched as the other also undressed and walked to the drawers to fetch a sweater for him. They both changed into pyjamas, Seto choosing to save himself the embarrassment and discomfort and skip the pants altogether. 

“Want me to get an extra duvet?” 

“I think it will be alright.” Seto scooted to the far end of the bed, his side pressing against the wall. Yugi saw him cringe visibly at the temperature of the concrete and offered to switch sides, but he was too stubborn to give up his place. They laid down together and shifted for a while, trying to get comfortable in the small bed. Seto’s long limbs were not single bed appropriate, especially when he shuddered every time he came in contact with the wall. Seto ended up facing away from him, his knees drawn close to his chest as Yugi held him from behind, a bit unfamiliar to the position yet grateful for the heating pad that his chest was against his back. “What did you do while I was gone?”

Yugi sighed and pressed his forehead against Kaiba’s back. “Just helped with the shop, really. We would hang out a lot with the guys, duel, occasionally.”

“You duelled without me.” Seto grumbled and tilted his head back for a second. 

“You were too busy signing papers in America.” He pressed a cheeky kiss on the CEO’s shoulder and started caressing his stomach, listening to his breath hitch. Soon his breath levelled and Yugi noticed that he was asleep already. He couldn’t blame him for it. He took a moment to take in his scent, the masculine perfume he chose to wear, which was warm and spicy, the smell of cigars and coffee in his dark hair, which he identified as the smell of a business meeting. He felt a strange warmth spread in his chest, keeping him awake for another few minutes, just indulging in the fact that he held Seto through his sleep. He brought his forehead to his back again, noting how bumpy his spine felt under the worn sweater. He didn’t hate it, he didn’t hate it because it was part of Seto, but he’d have to remember what it felt like. He wanted to keep an eye on him. Lost in a myriad of thoughts, he slowly drifted off, holding his partner’s hand over his stomach. 

Morning rolled in with a severe case of oversleeping on Seto’s side. Yugi didn’t have the heart to wake him up nor let him go before noon begun to roll in, when he felt him turn over for the first time since last night, resting onto his chest and stretching an arm across the bed. He recognised his little huff of annoyance.

“Stop smiling.” Seto growled, voice heavily laced with sleep. “I need to buy you a new bed.” 

“We slept just fine.” Yugi argued half heartedly, rubbing his hand flat against Seto’s shoulder-blade. 

“Speak for yourself. My legs are cramping horribly.” To emphasise his point, he kicked his legs a bit, resulting for the duvet to slide up over their knees. 

“Are you always so grumpy?”

“You, of all people, should know.” He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, squinting his eyes as sun came through the little window on the rooftop. Yugi did the same, but got out of the bed first, to give Seto his jeans. 

“Spare toothbrushes on the second drawer in the bathroom. I’m going to make coffee and tea- Oh, and don’t come out in your underwear, grandpa must be back by now.” 

“Wasn’t going to.” Seto scowled and let one long leg hang off the bed, mentally preparing himself to get up. “Even though I’m sure that’s gonna be a sight to be missed,” he finally stood and started pulling on his trousers. “Old man Mutou sees the guy who tore his rarest card walk out of his grandson’s room semi naked.” 

“You’d give him a heart attack.” Yugi rolled his eyes and pulled on some pyjama pants, then held the door open.

About half an hour later, they had both freshened up and gone to the kitchen, Seto sitting on the small table as Yugi set a cup of tea and a cup of coffee in front of him. “Anything to eat?” 

Kaiba seemed reluctant. He opened his mouth, but Yugi shrugged. 

“I want you to feel comfortable, so if you don’t want anything, it’s fine to say so.” His eyes were serious and his posture suggested that he meant it. Kaiba rolled his mug between his hands and nodded. 

“Thanks, just coffee, then.” He took a tentative sip and furrowed his brows, looking at Yugi suspiciously. “Where’d you get this coffee?”

“I asked Mokuba which one you liked.” He set a bowl of cereal for himself and sat across Seto. “Made it right?” 

“Bit stronger than what Isono makes, but I like it. Old man’s worried about caffeine.” He shrugged, letting his chin rest on the inside of his palm. “Didn’t know you were chatting with Mokuba.”

“Well, it’s the other Yugi, for the most part, but sometimes I ask for things.” He spoke around his spoonful of colourful cereal. 

“What would you eat for breakfast, in Egypt?” Kaiba asked curiously, taking another sip from his mug. 

Yugi’s brows furrowed. “I don’t… I don’t remember. It did take a while to get used to these, though.” He gave out a sheepish smile and stirred his cereal. 

“Lots of sugar-“ Both blue and cutting purple snapped to the entrance of the kitchen when a greying man walked in, holding a bag full of groceries. They made awkward eye contact for a couple of seconds, before Kaiba cleared his throat and stood, bowing his head. “Mr. Mutou-“

“Ah, Kaiba!” The old man laughed and placed the bag on the countertop. “Don’t start going on about that card now, it was years ago.” He swatted his hands around dismissively. 

Kaiba gave him a reluctant nod and sunk back into his seat, hands finding the cup of coffee again as if it was the only thing between him and the indignity he felt regarding that incident. 

“Don’t let me bother you two, I’m going to put these away and go back into the shop.” He smiled and bowed behind the counter. “How have you been, Kaiba? Found any good cards lately?” 

“I just brought a few back from America, they haven’t been released here yet.” He felt himself relax a little as he sipped at his coffee. 

“Jonouchi freaked out about those.” Yugi pointed out, tilting his head back to throw his grandpa a knowing look. 

“Ah, yes. These would had brought a lot of attention to the shop. You ought to bring some home next time, Kaiba.” 

“I have a lot of them in my suitcase. I kept the most expensive packs for me and Yugi, but there is still plenty left. You can have it.” Kaiba wasn’t sure where this kindness was surging from, but the warm smile that Yugi flashed him was enough to convince him that he shouldn’t be worrying about it. 

“That’s wonderful! Thank you! You can come visit any time, none of that shyness of yours.” Mr. Mutou finally placed the paper bag in a drawer and waved them goodbye, the sound of him stepping down the hollow staircase to the shop distinct. 

“Thanks.” Yugi squeezed his hand with that unbearably charming sigh of his and Seto felt his face growing hot. 

“It’s nothing. Wasn’t going to use them anyways.” He finished the last bits of his coffee, the warmth of Yugi’s hand on his own making his head swim. “What will you be doing today?” 

Yugi let out a hearty laugh. “My whole day is free, we were meant to meet each other, remember?” 

“Fuck, right.” He rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I have to see Mokuba. Want to come along? Then we can probably go out somewhere.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the day with him? I’m sure he missed you.” 

“Pretty sure. He can see me any other day, plus I’m going to visit first. Isono must have given him all the obnoxious sweets he likes already.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the number 2 on the speed dial. He looked at Yugi as he waited for the old man to pick up, his eyes narrowing with mischief when his hand was brought up and kissed tentatively. “Is Mokuba awake?” A short pause. “Good, come pick us up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kaiba and yugi get freaky, kaiba almost faints and then he has to deal with the embarrassment of facing yugi’s grandpa. this is an entire chapter dedicated to embarrassing Serious Tm ceo
> 
> Tell me what u think!! comments keep me going and ive been comment starved istg


	6. Chapter 6

Seto seriously begun to regret going home. He brought his hands up to massage his temples as Mokuba gave him an earful, his eyes squeezing shut in visible irritation. The kid had no fucking filter whenever he was worried, which resulted in him saying a shitload of things in front of an unsuspecting Yugi, who just stood frozen in the kitchen like someone invading a crime scene.

“You are a selfish bastard!” Mokuba fumed, pacing up and down the kitchen with his short legs- And Seto would had laughed at how ridiculous the kid looked, but he knew that if he did that now, he would, quite possibly, lose his kneecaps. “I was worried sick and for a damn good reason! You look like shit!” He slammed his hands on the marble isle in the middle of the room and buried his hands in his hair. “Isono! How much does he-“

“Mokuba!” Kaiba snapped, irritation reaching its brim and just about spilling out. “I’m fine.” He threw a cutting glare to Isono, who tried to open his mouth, then thought better, seeing the visible look of irritation the CEO regarded him with.

Mokuba growled lowly and threw a glance at Yugi. “Seto. Office. Now.”

“I will not-“

“Kaiba.” Yugi intervened, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Just go, I will wait here.”

Seto flashed him a look that screamed _traitor_. With a huff, he turned on his heel and started walking towards his office, fists pressed firmly against his sides. Not long after, Mokuba was inside and the door clicked shut. When he spoke, he sounded more resigned than ever, and Seto felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

“Isono told me you looked ill throughout the entire trip.” Mokuba sat on the chair across his brother. “We made an agreement, Seto. You’d tell him how much you weigh and eat the meals you had been given two years ago. Those were the terms of going to the trip.”

Seto felt his shoulders tense in defence. “I’m not going to ask for my kid brother’s permission to attend to my company.”

“Your health is more important than a stupid company.” Mokuba was beginning to feel agitated again. “Does Yugi know? Does he know you live on coffee and vitamins? What would he think?”

“He knows.” Seto’s felt a small sense of triumph when his brother’s brows furrowed.

“You told him! What does he say?! Does he fucking approve of you looking like you’re about to fall over?”

“He understands and he doesn’t force me to do things I don’t want to do.” Kaiba spat viciously, not liking that Mokuba’s anger was now directed towards his lover. “Talk is over.”

“No, it’s not!” Mokuba shoved at his chest when Seto tried to get up, his eyes cutting. “You’re not going anywhere. Not until I get in contact with your shrink.”

“We said no shrinks.” Kaiba shoved his chair back and stopped his brother’s angry hands in his grip, holding him gently but securely. “You’re way out of order, Mokuba.” He tried to sound calm. “I’m going out. Stop worrying so fucking much.”

“Don’t go all bossy on me, you fucking asshole!” Mokuba cried out, tears prickling his grey eyes. “Fine! I hid the keys from all the cars because I knew you were going to storm off again.”

Seto was trapped in his own home. His hands begun to shake with rage. He took a long step back and strode to the door. He yanked it open and run up the steps two at a time, shoving open the first drawer in his bedside table and opening the second book from the bottom, where he had hid the keys to his motorbike. He shoved his coat off his shoulders and opened his wardrobe, grabbing a thick leather jacket, before going down the stairs again. He found Yugi in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of tea with a solemn look. He must had heard it all. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“Seto!” Mokuba yelled, but Kaiba had already grabbed his partner’s wrist and was pulling him down the stairs to the garage. He flicked the switch that opened the large door to the garden and opened a red cupboard on the far end of the room. All the car keys had truly vanished. He tossed a helmet to Yugi, as well as a spare jacket they kept downstairs for Mokuba.

“Where are we going?” Yugi asked, pulling the helmet over his head and quickly zipping the jacket over his hoodie.

“Away, I don’t fucking know.” Seto zipped up his boots and climbed over the bike, his eyes focusing on the metres, making sure the gas tank was full. He soon felt Yugi’s arms wrap around his waist and he threw a glance back, to make sure they were good to go. He kicked the stand support back and started the engine, the expensive bike zooming out of the main gates with a flick of his wrist. They were out of Domino’s traffic within minutes, the cold air blocked off by their heavy jackets as they entered the freeway. Yugi gripped a bit tighter, feeling his partner’s narrow waist.

“Kaiba! Pull over if you get dizzy, alright?” He had to yell to be heard over the sound of the wind ripping past them and the loud grumble of the engine. He only saw a nod in response, followed by a slight jerk of the bike as they went just a bit faster.

They drove for a long while, by the coast, the winter sky beginning to darken during the early evening. They were leaving the city in a ripple.

In record time, Seto pulled up in front of a remote resort, his foot keeping the bike up straight as he kicked the stand down. He yanked his helmet off his head and Yugi realised he was breathing heavily. Concerned, he climbed off the bike first, his hand finding Seto’s freezing fingers. His eyes were red and swollen and his hair messy, but Yugi decided not to invade his privacy, fully aware how stubborn his Seto could be with such things. He only tipped up to press a kiss to his defined jaw and stepped back, watching him unhook his long leg from the vehicle and straighten up. He looked gorgeous. “What’s this place?”

“One of our homes.” Kaiba informed, digging into his pocket to make sure his wallet was still there. “No one will be here, since I didn’t inform any workers beforehand, so excuse the mess.”

Yugi nodded and grabbed Seto’s hand. Seto paused, looking long and hard at where their fingers intertwined. They weren’t in Domino, it wouldn’t matter. They walked up a small path to the door of a house much plainer than the mansion they had right outside of the city. With the very same bunch of keys that started his bike, Seto unlocked the door and patted blindly around him for a light switch. The place was freezing. He took a couple steps inside and unzipped his boots and jacket, settling them all on a big armchair by the door, along with his helmet. Yugi did the same. He quickly disappeared to get the heat running, then they both walked around the floor, opening the window shutters. “There isn’t any food around, so we could order and-“

Kaiba let out a heavy sigh when Yugi clasped his cheeks. “Want to tell me what happened back home?”

“Mokuba is worried.” He went to elaborate when Yugi looked at him with cocked brows. “He took away they keys to all my fucking cars, Yugi. He’s going to put me in the looney house in no time.”

“I think you should talk to him.” Yugi suggested, even though he knew it probably wasn’t much help. Seto looked at him tiredly and shrugged his shoulders. He wandered off to the nearest window that overlooked the sea. The house itself was built on the edge of a cliff and the view was breathtaking. As a storm begun to roll in, he found himself pressing his forehead against the glass pane. It became painfully obvious to him how hard he had been trying to avoid Yugi ever since that argument took place when warm arms held him from behind.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, sincerely, all of his thoughts of the past few days rolling in in the deafening quiet. “For today and for yesterday. I know you weren’t expecting me and had other plans-“

“Don’t be an idiot.” Yugi hummed and propped his chin against Kaiba’s chest. “I’m glad I could see you. Will you join us again?”

Kaiba shifted awkwardly in his spot. “I don’t think I made a very good impression.”

“Kaiba! They know you since high school, you don’t have to make an impression.” Yugi was genuinely amused by how reluctant Seto could be sometimes.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He turned around slowly, letting the back of his head rest against the window. The place was finally warming up a little. He stayed silent for a long while, just looking at Yugi’s reassuring eyes and trying to stave off all the thoughts feeding away at his head. “I want to shower.”

“That’s a good idea.” Yugi smiled sheepishly and took Seto’s hands in his. “I’m just going to have a walk around the house, get familiar.”

“Okay. Come upstairs, I’ll show you the bedroom.” He stepped aside and led the way to the upper floor, feeling a familiar sense of emptiness in the pit of his stomach. He opened the second door of the corridor, to reveal a bedroom similar to his own at home, only smaller, four poster bed and ensuite bathroom included. “I’ll be right back.”

The world seemed to slide in front of his eyes like a film, in grainy frames. He felt more than he saw. The tile wall was cold behind his back and the water hot against his hair as he sat on the shower floor, taking deep breaths. He could had stayed in there for hours for all he knew, the warmth making his head fuzzy. It was a comfort, taking a break from the world after Mokuba’s full on attack on him. He washed his hair half heartedly. By the time he was out of the bathroom, the atmosphere was considerably warmer than he had left it. He found Yugi sitting on the bed with curious eyes, going through the drawers of the bedside table. He stalked off to him, towel wrapped around him in a cosy manner. “What are you looking at?” He asked, gently, and sat on the mattress by the other’s side.

“Just some books you have here.” Yugi held up a copy of the Great Gatsby in english, as well as the Plague by Albert Camus, also in english. “You read these in English?”

“Yeah.” Seto smiled sheepishly and took the Great Gatsby in his lap. “They were gifts from Pegasus.” He opened the front page curiously, yet he was surprised to find a bunch of letters falling out. “What…”

Yugi watched curiously as Seto picked them up and unfolded them. “Who are they from?” He placed his chin against a bare shoulder, taking in the scent of shower gel.

“Pegasus.” Kaiba let his eyes dart through the letters, feeling a smile pull at his lips at Pegasus’ attempts at Japanese at the bottom of every paper.

“You’re smiling.” Yugi observed, turning his head a little to kiss Seto’s shoulder. He glanced at the date, realising these were at least three years old.

Kaiba tried to stop it, yet he was aware that a painful blush was beginning to settle in his cheeks. “I thought I had lost these.”

“Were you two...?” Yugi asked, curiously, feeling a strong sense of amusement at the way Seto tried to formulate the right words. In the end, he just meekly nodded.

“Not in the sense that you’d think.” He explained, bringing his hand up to palm at his own neck. “We just screwed, more than anything.”

“That looks more than just screwing to me.” Yugi teased, eyeing the careful cursive in which the letters were written.

“Well, he wanted things that I wasn’t ready to give.” He flipped through the pages, his eyes landing on a small card postal from San Fransisco. Clipped to it, there was a picture of them, sat side by side in a bar, Seto’s legs crossed as he squeezed next to Pegasus, a familiar smirk on and a cigarette dangling from his fingertips. He almost laughed at in now.

“You smoked?”

“It was more like a stupid phase. Everyone else did. I hated it.” He gently tucked everything back into the book and closed it, leaving it into the drawer.

Yugi decided he liked this vulnerable Seto. No one was there to make him retreat into his shell and his voice was uncharacteristically soft. “Tell me more?”

Seto sighed and stood. “I was having a horrible time. I was a teenager and I had to work all day, naturally, I ended up liking my handsome business associate.” He opened the closet to find some clothes. “He treated me better than my family did. I had no reason not to like him. Then he wanted us to be together and I wasn’t ready for that. We just drifted apart as my visits to America lessened.”

“Ever wonder what it would had been like?” Yugi rolled on his back on the bed, watching intently as Seto changed into a set of pyjamas.

“No, because I know. We would had both been neck deep in workload and end up hating each other.” He shrugged his shoulders dismissively and climbed on the bed. He straddled Yugi’s hips and laid on his chest. “Plus, I wouldn’t be here with you now.” His tired expression shifted into a mischievous one as he twirled a gold strand of hair around his index finger.

“Sweet talker.” Yugi rolled his eyes and gently flipped them over, his hands wrapping around Seto’s wrists as he leaned in for a kiss.

“I have a thing for older men in positions of power, it seems.” Kaiba gave him a wink and leaned up for another brush of the lips. Yugi’s smile was followed by a kiss to his forehead. “Want to shower?”

“Can wait.” Yugi protested, then slowly let go of Seto’s hands and brought himself into a sitting position between his legs. “Did you come here as a kid?”

“Mhm.” Seto nodded, his hands caressing his partner’s taught thighs through his pants. “It’s nice to walk by the shore. Even in winter.”

“We should do that after the storm calms.”

“Hungry yet?” Kaiba propped himself up on his elbows and nudged at Yugi’s hip with his knee.

“Yeah, quite so.” He smiled sheepishly and grabbed Seto’s hands, to help him into a sitting position.

“We’d go to a restaurant if I had the car.” He grumbled, yet his annoyance seemed to dissolve when Yugi cradled his face in his palms. “There are a few places doing delivery, though. What do you feel like eating?” He held the little pyramid hanging from his partner’s neck and tilted it gently, watching the way it reflected the light of the lamp.

“Anything. We can get pizza.” His attention was diverted to Kaiba’s studying look and he couldn’t help but smile at how careful he was handling the millennium item.

“So, you were in here? Your consciousness, I mean.” He leaned a bit closer, to observe the eye in the middle. He cocked his brows when he was regarded with a nod, so he pressed on. “For thousands of years?”

“Yes. Until Yugi completed the puzzle.” He placed his hand on top of Seto’s on his necklace.

“So, do you have different names?”

“We do, but I don’t remember mine. Yugi calls me “the other me”, I call him partner. The guys call me Yami when they want to tell us apart.” He frowned at Kaiba’s comical expression.

“Yami? That’s ridiculous. There is nothing remotely dark about you.” Kaiba smirked in triumph when Yugi flashed, so he settled for slowly pushing away from him and off the bed. “We have the catalogues downstairs, come on.”

They spent a while bickering about what pizza they were going to get, because neither of them wanted to order two of them. They ended up with the simplest choice, a margarita, because you simply couldn’t go wrong with it. Seto ate a slice and Yugi ate about half of it, saving the remaining four for the next day.

They fell asleep fast, right after Yugi’s shower, the heaviness of the day weighing down on them emotionally. It was comfortable this time, they didn’t need to squeeze in, but they still did, Seto’s face pressed into his partner’s chest. In the morning, they decided to go out and grab some coffee after they freshened up, Seto yet again taking up the role of the driver. They rode calmer this time, considerably more relaxed, and Yugi even started being playful, sliding his one hand down Seto’s thigh and then up his chest.

Yugi would be lying if he said he would ever get bored of seeing Kaiba unmount the slick, black, motorbike and take his helmet off. His beauty had his stomach doing the flips. They decided to take their coffee and tea to go and sit on the shore instead, the sand considerably dryer since it was midday already and the sun had been shining warm.

Yugi sat with Seto’s head resting on his thigh, their position reminding him of a few weeks ago, when he had been the one in the brunette’s position. He fought not to grimace at Seto’s folded legs, knees resting together and thighs yards apart from touching. He concentrated on his pleased expression, taking in the warm sun rays that caressed his pale skin. “It must be great here in summer.”

Seto nodded in agreement. “Sometimes it’s a bit packed, but it’s the best during the last days of summer.” He propped his head up for a second, to take a sip of his coffee. “Mokuba has been bringing his friends over the past few summers, so it’s always loud in the house. It’s a bit annoying.”

Yugi regarded him with a playful smirk. “That’s what teenagers do, Seto.”

Kaiba opened his eyes, his expression unreadable. “I suppose.” He slowly sat up, looking into the sand yet, in reality, not focusing on it at all.

Yugi couldn’t shake the feeling that he had said something wrong. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No.” Kaiba shook his head, drumming his fingertips against the lid of his cup. “It’s just… I’m glad he has friends to talk to. Trusting people…” he took a moment to find the right words. “Can be difficult when you’re like us.”

“And you need to talk to people more.” Yugi pressed his forehead against Seto’s shoulder. “There’s so much bottling up that head can handle.” He gave him a playful smile and Seto laughed.

“You’d be surprised.” He muttered weakly and tipped his head forward, eyes closed as he inhaled the ocean breeze.

“What about me? Do I pass the Kaiba trust test?” Yugi intertwined their fingers.

“You already know the answer to that question.” Kaiba rolled his eyes and brought his knees up to his chest, letting his head rest against them. “Mokuba likes you as well.”

“I’m glad to know that.” A comfortable silence settled between them, the sound of waves crashing into the shore a constant, comforting, loop. They both jerked as an electronic sound invaded their ears, completely alien compared to what they had grown accustomed to for the past couple of hours. Yugi grabbed Seto’s wrist and pulled him a bit closer as he stared around warily. Then the click sounded again and they were faster to process it this time. It was a camera.

A bewildered Seto stood and switched the placement of their hands, now pulling on Yugi instead, fast pacing it to the bike. He stood too suddenly and saw white spots in his vision, but this was no good. They mounted the bike with mechanical movements, irritation making Kaiba’s skin crawl as he kicked the motorcycle’s support up and twisted the right handle, the engine roaring as they sped off, having barely had the time to pull their helmets on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mokuba wont get off seto’s back, so seto does the only thing he knows how to do: run away from his problems!! ft fluff and a little confession on seto’s side! what do we think about this chapter babes? seto rlly had pegasus whipped for him smh
> 
> i made a yugioh sideblog on tumblr where u can send me asks about ur headcanonse, questions, or ask me about random canons!! hit me up on: @fulltimemoaner


	7. Chapter 7

Seto thumped on the floor behind the door of Kaiba mansion, his hands rubbing tiredly at his deep blue eyes. They had only managed to stay at the seaside for two days before all their movements became stalked by reporters, annoying flashes blinding them even in the privacy of their home, through the tall windows. A heaviness spread across his limbs, realising that manoeuvring his bike became more and more difficult by the day. He knew he wouldn’t be fit to drive it in a couple weeks’ time. It was becoming too heavy for him to control anymore.

“Mr. Kaiba...” Isono’s worried voice echoed from the corridor, watching the young CEO slump against the door and Yugi take his burrowed coat off. “There is an issue-“

“The press came in?” Kaiba asked, tiredly, yet still found it in himself to push off the ground and walk to the living room after he also took his boots and jacket off. He sank down on the leather couch with Yugi and took in the few papers spread on the coffee table before him. He was so glad Mokuba was at school.

There were at least four yellow papers on display, and he was the cover in all of them. He palmed at his face and mentally prepared himself for the upcoming headache. “Isono, coffee.”

**_ KAIBA CORP. CEO SPEEDING OUT OF TOWN _ **

**_ FROM SLICK TO SICK _ **

**_ IS FAME WEIGHING DOWN ON SETO KAIBA? _ **

**_ SCANDALOUS ENCOUNTER ON THE SEASIDE _ **

Yugi picked one of them up and observed the cover picture. It was a grainy image of him and Kaiba walking out of the coffee shop, helmets hanging from their free hands. Another showed Kaiba, getting off his bike, and it would had been a good picture, if it wasn’t for the horrible headline  “from slick to sick”.  He turned his head, seeing the CEO read one of the articles with furrowed eyebrows. “Read it out loud.” Yugi urged, leaning closer.

Seto cleared his throat and squeezed his eyes shut for a second, the distant sound of his office’s phone ringing hammering in his brain.

“CEO of Kaiba Corp. Seto Kaiba was spotted on his black motorcycle, just a few hundred miles outside of Domino City with life long rival turned companion Yugi Mutou.

Witness reports confirm that mr. Kaiba appeared to be sickly and severely underweight. The man was always known for his tall and elegant built, but it just about seems that everything has started to spiral out of hand for the CEO in his 20s. A worker at Blue Squid, coffee shop in the area, reported that he ordered a cup of black coffee at noon.

What is Yugi Mutou’s role in all this? It’s clear that the two have become rather intimate, yet one can’t help but wonder if Seto Kaiba’s disintegrating image is the result of that union. Witnesses claim to have seen them arguing often. The king of games does not come from a rich background, like the young CEO, so it’s well suspected that he’s there for his money.

Can we trust a company with such an unstable owner? With Mr. Kaiba owning more than 51% percent of Kaiba Corporation, the future of the company seems unclear.”

“What the fuck?” Yugi fumed, pulling the magazine out of Seto’s hands to look with his own two eyes. “We didn’t argue once! Where are they getting all these tales from?”

“They make them up, Yugi. It’s what they do.” Kaiba offered awkwardly, then pulled the magazine back again. “It’s all bullshit to stir the pot. It will be forgotten in no time.”

“I don’t like the way they talk about you.” Yugi grumbled and pulled another magazine in his hands. He scanned through the texts quickly. “They’re speculating whether you’re on drugs!”

“Not the first time.” Kaiba picked everything up when Isono came with his coffee and shoved them in his hands. “Don’t bother with that shit.” He gripped the hot mug in one hand and pinched his nose bridge with the other one to relieve some tension.

“Mr. Kaiba.” Isono cleared his throat, instantly catching the attention of his boss and mr. Mutou. “We have received a lot of calls from magazines asking for more information and an explanation. Perhaps it would be good publicity to respond to at least one of them.”

Kaiba calculated his choices and let out an exasperated sigh. “Bring me a list of all the magazines, the statement they made and what they said they wanted to hear.”

Seto and Yugi went through the inquiries all morning, flipping through papers and narrowing down their choices. In the end, they gravitated towards Vogue Hommes Japan, since they had published nothing about the situation and preferred to have Seto’s personal statement.

“You’d need to pose for that, wouldn’t you?” Yugi asked, scanning his eyes through the small list of requirements.

“Mhm. It’s not the first time, and I’d rather have my face on a professional cover than some yellow press grainy image.” He crossed his arms and held the page out to Isono. “Call them, arrange a meeting. If Mokuba asks, tell him we are handling the situation without an issue.” He leaned back into the couch with a deep sigh, already feeling like his ability to deal with that kind of shit was significantly lower than he thought.Thankfully, Yugi covered his hand with his own, and some edge left him immediately.

He could only wish that he could have that kind of comfort now as well, standing in the middle of a studio and being rushed around different booths. The magazine had warned him to eat and sleep well before the shoot, as they were going for a black and white one and the lights were bound to be strong. He had had an apple before showing up, but nothing could had prepared him for the hour long tryout of his newly tailored suit, or the makeup application and the precision with which they styled his hair.

At first, he was asked to pose standing, the photographer guiding him through each step, telling him where to place his hands and legs. He was asked to lean against a wall, arms crossed and one leg poised to the front, resting on the heel of his slick shoes. They took a few more generic poses, Seto easily sliding into the role of the model, because he knew that the camera adored him. The artistic director dared to get a bit more creative, now asking Seto to sit on a black chair and take off his blazer and tie. A stylist popped in and undid the top two buttons of his button up. They used some extras, random workers from the set, who dipped their hands in black paint and then placed them on Seto’s body. One hand settled on his cheek, tilting his head to the side. The photographer instructed him to close his eyes as more hands found their way on him, one resting on his neck, the others on his chest and shoulders. They took numerous shots of that one and the executives looked more than pleased.

“Thank you, Mr. Kaiba!” The young lady photographer bowed deeply and offered him a wet towel, to let him clean the temporary dye off his cheek and neck. Kaiba acknowledged her with a nod and looked the other way. This was the last place he wanted to be and the interview hadn’t even started yet. He stood up and took his phone out of his pocket, to check for messages from Yugi. He smiled in relief, seeing that he had, in fact, received quite a few.

_ good luck today, kaiba!! _

_ how is the shoot? are you getting to choose the pictures? _

_ text me when you r done xx _

He tried to push away the smile creeping on his face, but it was no use. He knew that people were probably staring by now, but he didn’t give a shit. His public image couldn’t get more messed than it already was, anyways.

_ The photoshoot went fine, they didn’t strip me down. _

_ if i was the photographer, i wouldnt had missed the chance to see Mr. Kaiba naked ;-) _

_ Glad you probably don’t even know how to work a camera. _

_ i can always learn xx _

Kaiba’s attention snapped back to the journalist crew, realising that he had left them waiting for quite a few minutes. He cleared his throat and picked up his blazer, yet didn’t bother putting it on, the strong lights making the studio impossibly warm. He sat down on the couch across a middle aged woman and crossed his legs, gladly accepting a glass of water when it was offered to him.

“Mr. Kaiba.” She regarded him with a professional smile. “I understand you’re a busy man, shall we begin?”

Seto decided that he liked her. She didn’t seem to be beating around the bush and he always appreciated a woman that wouldn’t be wasting his precious time. “I’m all ears.”

She clicked the button to her recorder and settled it on the glass table between them. “A lot has been going around about your health, as you may already know, Mr. Kaiba. Where do you stand with that?”

“My health is perfectly under control and tightly monitored.” He answered in a professional tone, bouncing his leg against the rug.

The woman gave him a sharp look. “What about the substance abuse rumours?”

“The only substance I tend to abuse is caffeine.” He shot back, matter-of-factly.

“What role does Yugi Mutou play in this?” Every head in the team seemed to stare at him more intently now. Seto breathed deeply.

“He is there for me. He helps me when I need him and keeps an eye out whenever I get too absorbed in my work. I’m sure you’d understand.” A small smirk begun to tug at his face at the woman’s irritated expression.

“My relationship with my work is irrelevant, really, Mr. Kaiba.” She glanced down at her little recorder and Kaiba could see her frustration over her own inability to pull a reaction from him. “How did your relationship change from sworn rivals to lovers?”

“Hm, I believe this isn’t your magazine’s business.” He tilted his head back and narrowed his eyes, putting on an unreadable expression.

“Oh, but the readers would love to see these accusations of him being a gold digger die down.” She cut him with a razor sharp look and Seto couldn’t help but smile. She was blackmailing him. Interesting.

“Yugi and I came closer after Duelist Kingdom. We realised we had more in common than we thought.” Of course, there was no mention of the meltdowns and the screams that accompanied that process. “We were better off shagging than fighting, if you might.”

Now it was his turn to feel triumphant when the middle aged woman begun to flash across him. “That’s a bold way to put it, Mr. Kaiba. Are you sure you want this recorded?”

“Oh, most definitely.” He yawned into the back of his palm. “What else does your editor want you to pester me about?”

She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “What are you looking for, in a partner?”

Seto decided that this was a great way to send a message to his lover. “I like them trustworthy and understanding. I need my space.” He calculated his thoughts. “I like men in positions of power, and he just happens to be the Duelist King.”

A series of gasps echoed around the table and Seto could hardly bite back a snort. If they were going to call Yugi a gold digger, he might as well prove the opposite. “Are we done here?”

“Fortunately so, Mr. Kaiba.” She smiled tightly and reached over, clicking the “end recording” button.

“Strictly off the record, how much do you weigh, Kaiba?” She asked, now her attitude much more relaxed and lacking the formality it held before. She sounded nearly hostile.

“I’m not going to give you my diet.” He stood up, beginning to properly button his shirt again.

“You’re still the same brat fainting in your father’s galas.” She gave him a charming smile and stood as well, straightening her tight blazer. She held out her hand and Seto shook it firmly. “It was nice to do work with you.”

“My pleasure.” Seto murmured sarcastically and stalked off, his head ringing with alertness. Had that woman interviewed him before? It seemed that she had been around when Gozaburo was. He walked to the exit hastily and off to the parking lot, fumbling with the keys in his pockets. He draped his blazer across his arm and cursed triumphantly when he heard the telltale sound of the car unlocking. He slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door, letting out a small sigh as he placed his hands on the stirring wheel. He tested his vision, made sure he was seeing just fine, and his reflexes too, looking quickly from one end to another. He turned the keys on the engine and drove off, his mind going over the events of the past few minutes.

He ached to go home and see Yugi, but he knew he was falling behind on the company’s paperwork. He glanced at his wristwatch and decided that he had enough time for a tiny detour. He turned the car into the busiest part of the town and parked in front of a takeaway restaurant, the alarms of his blue sports car on. He ordered a large sushi platter to go and paid with his card. The wait wasn’t long, and once he had the little paper bag, he only stopped by his car to grab another one. The game shop was just around the corner. The doorbell clicked when he opened the door and he heard some shuffling from the storage room. To his disappointment, Mr. Mutou came to the desk and beamed at him.

“Mr. Mutou.” Kaiba regarded him with a small bow and etched closer to the desk.

“Kaiba! Are you here to get some cards? Your American ones are all sold out, thank you!” The old man sounded grateful, which brought great relief to Seto.

“Actually, no. I just dropped by to leave Yugi these.” He placed two bags on the counter. “One is lunch, the other is some chocolate assortment I was given during an interview.” He paused, posture stiff when Yugi’s grandfather regarded him with sharp eyes. He must had read the articles.

“Thank you, Kaiba. Are you sure you don’t want to stay for lunch? Seems like you’ve brought more than enough for the both of you.”

“No, thank you. I’m behind at work, I’ve been pretty neglectful of the office.” He glanced at his wristwatch again. He was only half-lying. “Goodbye, Mr. Mutou.” He dipped his head once more and turned on his heel, walking towards the exit. He knew that the man’s eyes didn’t leave his back until he was gone. Walking back to the car, he rolled his eyes when he saw a parking ticket perched on the windshield. He took it in hand and got into the car. Whatever.

He was looking forward to the confinement of his own office. It had been too long since he properly got things done. Deciding that he didn’t really need to work from home, he turned towards the Kaiba Corporation building, the parking valet ready to take his car at the entrance and park it in the underground lot. He walked in through the main gates and regarded all the workers bowing towards him with a tight nod.

When he finally sat down on his office chair, he let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tension of the entire day flowing through and out of his body. He pressed on number 3 on his phone and picked up the receiver. “Takami, a cup of coffee please.”

He turned his chair, now facing the large window panes, letting himself be bathed in warm light that made his skin tingle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kaiba poses for vogue and knows he looks hot xx he has some fun playing around with the journalist, then brings Yugi lunch. the chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, but packed with info! thank u for reading, dont forget to leave kudos / comments as they really boost the story to the reader <3


	8. Chapter 8

“Guys!” Jonouchi stood up, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He had called an emergency meeting at Kaiba Mansion, which had Kaiba wondering since when did the mutt have the right to do that in his own home. He sat quietly on the couch, arms crossed as he gazed around the room. Anzu, Honda, Yugi- the soft eyed Yugi. Mokuba was there as well, staring at them curiously. “Right, so, you know the magazine, Duel Society?”

Kaiba groaned. “Everyone knows duel society, quit wasting my time.”

“Kaiba!” Jonouchi fumed, raising his fist in front of his face. “I’ll let you jerk on the floor like a dying fish next time you’re off!”

Honda and Anzu burst out in deep laughter and both Kaiba and Jonouchi flashed.

“Jonouchi- You were the one to run first and get the groceries.” Yugi was trying to contain his own laughter, Mokuba looking curiously between them, seemingly unaware of the event.

“Irrelevant!” Jonouchi yelled again, then put his hands on his waist. “Listen to me! Duel Society is doing an event. It’s basically a big party, they chose me as an Ambassador-“ He puffed out his chest proudly, only to be interrupted by Kaiba’s sneer.

“Well, that’s going to be a flop.”

“You bastard! They could had never chosen someone unlikeable like you!” Jonouchi had to be mindful of Mokuba’s presence, otherwise he would be launching at his brother right that instance. “I’m going to be paid double if I manage to bring moneybags and the king of games along. So, be there.”

“I have no time for parties.” Kaiba quickly passed and stood, but a hand on his wrist stopped him from turning around.

“Kaiba.” Yugi smiled warmly. “I’m sure Yami would love it if you were there. We are going, so we would be spending equal time out. It’d be nice if he had someone with him.”

Kaiba felt irritation flash behind his eyelids. The news of him and the ancient hag dating had been made public less than two weeks ago and the entire loser circus was already using that knowledge to their advantage. He sighed in defeat. “When will it be?”

Everyone rejoined in triumph and he rolled his eyes, sparing his brother a tempting glare. “You’re underage, you’re not coming.”

“Don’t be a spoil!” Mokuba yelled, fisting his hands in front of his chest. “You drunk at my age!”

“Mokuba!” Seto growled and felt like he was completely losing control of the room. His angry snarls had little effect. “This is my house…” he murmured, exasperated, pretending he couldn’t hear Mokuba yelling in triumph with Jonouchi.

“So, rich boy-“ Jonouchi ruffled the kid’s hair and smirked widely. “Since we’re all going there, care to pick us up?”

Mokuba jumped in before Seto could protest. “Sure! We are all arriving in a limousine.” He placed his hands on his waist and laughed, looking eerily much like Seto.

“Do I sound like that?” Seto grimaced, pressing a hand to the side of his head. His head was beginning to pound with a headache.

“What the hell does that mean?!” Mokuba snarled and started shoving Seto out of the room, laugh erupting behind them.

Seto’s chest boomed with the bass of the electronic music that filled the club, the place chockfull with dancing people. Through the corner of his eye, he spotted the logo of Duel Society, as well as a few booths here and there, some selling cards, some selling duelist related memorabilia. In the far back of the room, people were duelling with his duel-disks. He felt a sense of triumph in his chest, the duel-disk had truly been one of his most successful-

“Kaiba! Snap out of it!” Jonouchi wrapped his arms around his and _his_ Yugi’s shoulders, pulling them in closer- And Seto tried hard not to grimace. “We are playing spin the bottle! Only top notch duelists.” Jonouchi grinned, already drunk, being offered free alcohol as the Ambassador.

“Spin the bottle?” Kaiba sounded uncertain, glancing over at his lover- who winked at him and nodded with a grin.

“Let’s go, you might just end up kissing Jonouchi.” Yugi teased and grabbed Seto’s hand, who flashed indignantly, his string of curses lost in the music and the yells of the crowd.

They all sat down in a circle and Kaiba scanned for familiar faces. He saw Dinosaur Ryuzaki, Insector Haga- then his throat went dry as he spotted a silver stream of hair, straight and silky, reflecting the multi-coloured lights that blinked in the rhythm of the music. Pegasus. He talked to someone by his side, laughing in the frilly button up shirt he wore, buttons undone to reveal part of his chest. He hadn’t been spotted yet. Then, his eyes shifted to his left, where Yugi was leaning closer to Anzu, who was whispering something in his ear. He wore a sleeveless shirt which made his muscular arms absolutely mesmerising in the low light. He felt a stir in his stomach.

“Right! I spin first.” Jonouchi stepped forward and placed an empty beer bottle on the ground, then spun it.

A few rounds went by, creating some absolutely atrocious situations, such as Haga kissing with Honda, and some not so bad, such as Mai and Anzu. Mai’s well manicured hand spun the bottle then, the cup slowly coming to point at Kaiba’s direction. All eyes shot towards him and he felt his chest tighten. Without a word, he leaned forward and spun the bottle. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when the bottle stopped at Pegasus, who regarded him with a playful grin.

“Ooooh!” Jonouchi yelled in a scandalising manner. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

The entire crowd begun to chant the single word, and Kaiba leaned towards the centre without looking at Yugi, not wanting to see his expression right that moment. Pegasus did the same, his long fingers pulling his face close. “Kaiba boy,”

Kaiba barely had the time to crack his mouth open when their lips crashed together, the touch messy and full of tongue. He could taste the wine in the older’s breath.

“Seven, six, five...”

Five more seconds. He closed his eyes and breathed deep through his nose, feeling Pegasus’ velvety lips.

“One!!!” The crowd cheered and Seto pulled back quickly with a flustered look. He wiped at his mouth and sat beside Yugi again- and before he had the time to wrap his head around the situation, another pair of lips covered his own.

“Oi! Yugi! That’s cheating!”

He didn’t care. Yugi felt jealousy pit viciously in his stomach. He fisted his hand in the back of Seto’s hair and felt him quiver, his partner’s mouth nearly passive as all the gazes in the room nailed him down. He held the kiss for longer than he had planned, hungrily devouring Seto’s mouth as if making a statement in front of the rest of them. Jonouchi’s wolf-whistling reminded him to re-gather his composure and he released Seto’s hair. He pulled back but held his gaze for a second, content to find no discomfort amidst his embarrassment. Flashing a languid smile at Pegasus, he wrapped his hand around Kaiba’s and pulled him to the dance-floor.

“What was that for?” Seto snapped, his cheeks still burning red.

“You looked so hot I had to do something.” Yugi placed his hands on his lover’s waist and pulled him closer, their identities inseparable amidst the sea of people. They had the ultimate form of privacy lost in the crowd.

“Yugi...” Seto sighed and wrapped his arms around his neck. He smirked and leaned into his ear. “Pharaoh doesn’t like sharing his toys.”

Yugi felt a carnal need igniting within him, his body on auto drive as he pressed his lips against Kaiba’s neck and begun to suck, creating a bruise where people could see. “You’re mine and mine only, Seto.” He whispered between bites, his hand fisting in the back of a black turtleneck.

The echo of his first name being said in such a sultry tone sent shivers down his spine, which doubled when Yugi begun to run his hands up and down his sides. Seto kissed him this time, wantonly, their chests pressing together. His head swam with arousal and his breath levelled. Having to resist to the hands pushing underneath his shirt and up his back was criminally unfair, but he knew better. “Yugi-“ He pulled back with a gasp, his hands finding his partner’s and prying them off his body. “You still haven’t switched, and I doubt this is the kind of load your other self wants to deal with.”

Yugi took in deep breaths, desperately trying to rationalise the situation. Seto drove him insane. Every hitch of his breath, ever twitch of a muscle- God, he needed to calm down. “You’re right.” He needed to cool down. He pressed one fleeting kiss on his lover’s lips. “I’ll go get a drink. Want one?”

“No, I’m alright.” Seto rubbed his face with his hands. “I’ll go to the bathroom.” His brain was spiralling as much as Yugi’s were, so he desperately needed to wash his face with some cold water, or else they would have to deal with some very stiff and embarrassing situation.

Yugi kissed him on the shoulder and left for the bar, so Kaiba started pushing his way through the crowd to the bathroom. After an unnecessary amount of shoving, he walked under white fluorescent lights, his boots clicking against the white tiles. The music seemed distant and his ears started ringing from the sudden decrease in decibels. He placed his hands on each side of the sink and leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting his sunken cheeks and pale complexion. His dark eye bags looked atrocious. Unable to empathise with the image in front of him, he opened the tap and ducked down, holding his fringe back with one hand as he threw some water to his face. He stayed there for a few seconds, feeling himself quickly sobering up under the cold stream. He stiffened when he felt a pair of hands on his waist and closed the tap. He patted around for the hand towels as he spoke. “Please, Pegasus.” He murmured, the tell tale touch of the ashy haired man distant but not forgotten.

Much to his horror, once he stood and looked into the mirror’s reflection, he saw a completely unfamiliar figure. It was a short but bulky man, looking positively drunk. He turned around warily, well aware that the hands did not leave his body, only held down tighter. “Do I know you?”

“No, Mr. Kaiba. I’m a big fan. I’ve been praying for days to see you here.” The man leaned closer and Seto placed a hand to his shoulder, firmly keeping their distance.

“I believe you’re acting out of line.” He placed his hands on top of the stranger’s and pried them away. The triumph was short lived, the man’s face darkening and his hands flying to his neck before he could react, the alcohol making him slow. With his neck constricting painfully, the man lifted him a few inches off the ground, to push him onto the counter and ram the back of his head into the stained mirror.

Kaiba’s vision fogged for a few seconds and the room begun to spin. Something warm trailed down his nape. Everything was happening too fast, the lips on his mouth, the squeezing of his neck and one clumsy hand trying to push its way into his pants. He cracked his eyes open and willed the panic away, his hand desperately patting around for the soap dispenser. His fingertips scrapped it enough to knock it over, allowing him to finally grasp it tightly in his hand and smash it on the stranger’s head with all the force he could muster. The man went stumbling back with a groan and Seto swore he saw blood on his hands. The curses eliciting from the stranger made him spring to action, well aware that if he waited for the man to recover he would come back more aggressive.

He elbowed his way out of the crowd and onto the street outside of the bar, his knees wobbling as they hit the pavement. He jerked forward and hurled the little food he had had that day, along with the alcohol he had consumed. His vision was going in and out and he felt impossible cold. Tears begun to block his eyesight. A hand pressed between his shoulder blades and his heart jumped to his throat, pure instinct of survival making him turn around and shove at the intruder, his voice catching into his throat right when he was about to scream. A blob of blonde hair filled his vision and he let his arms down, now falling on his ass against the cold concrete.

“Kaiba- Kaiba!” Jonouchi grabbed both of the man’s shoulders and shook him. “What’s wrong- Jesus Christ, you’re bleeding. Got into a fight?” He grabbed the other’s shaking hand and inspected the deep cuts, shards of glass still buried stubbornly into his fingers. “We’ll need to…” his voice drifted off as he took in Kaiba’s fear stricken expression, his lips bloody and his fringe dump with what he could only explain as sweat. He felt his blood pump in his ears, finally stringing the pieces together. The way Kaiba had fled the bathroom, the vomiting, his stretched and untucked sweater. “Who did this? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Kaiba felt his heart thump against his chest, he tried so hard not to start wheezing. Panic clawed at his ribcage and threatened to break it open. Why was that dog worrying so much about him? “M...” he stumbled, his eyes welling up for once more. “My head.” He breathed out, trying to calm down. He planted his hands on the pavement and felt around, attempting to ground himself.

Jonouchi took off his jacket and pressed it firmly against the back of his head, he didn’t know if the was cut deep. He looked around, to see if anyone was coming. No one. “I need to get you someone. I’ll call Yugi.”

“No!” Kaiba nearly slapped Jonouchi’s phone out of his hands. “Call Pegasus. I don’t want to upset Yugi.”

“Kaiba!” Jonouchi reprimanded, his anger flaring up. “Quit being so cryptic about yourself! When are you going to open up-“ He only realised he was yelling when he saw Kaiba’s blue reflecting a feeling he had never seen on him before. Pure fear. He was still in shock. “Pegasus, right… I’ll take your phone now, to find his number.” With surgical precision, he took the device from Seto’s shaking body, where it was tucked into one of his pockets. He flipped the phone open and looked for the man’s contact.

“Kaiba-boy?”

“Uhh… Pegasus? It’s Jonouchi. Can you come outside? Seto is in a bad way.” The man hung up before he could get another word from him, only to appear a couple minutes later, coat in hand. He knelt by the brunette and reached out for his fingers.

“Seto?” Pegasus whispered, tone gentle. “It’s me.” He reached up with ghostly fingers and caressed a strand of dark hair, tucking it behind his ear. “I’m here.”

Seto nodded. He wanted to scream to both of them to stop treating him like a child, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He pressed his face tightly against the older’s shoulder, in an attempt to reserve some bits of his dignity.

“My Seto, what have you done to yourself again?” He regarded Jonouchi with a knowing look as he begun to massage Seto’s nape. His fingertips instantly became dump with blood. Then it dawned to him, that this wasn’t just illness induced vomiting. He placed his chin on top of well styled hair and nodded to the blond. “He’s alright. He just needs some time. He probably doesn’t want Yugi to see him in this state. I’m taking him to my hotel suite, don’t tell Yugi or Mokuba. Just tell them he got too drunk and went home.”

“Can I call a cab for you?” Jonouchi looked at Kaiba concerned.

“That would be most kind of you.” Pegasus took over the post of pressing the jacket against the back of Seto’s head as Jonouchi dialled up a number on his phone.

He walked around anxiously as he spoke the instructions to the driver. After he ended the call, he ruffled his damaged hair. “They’re on their way. Should be here in ten minutes. You should have someone check his head.”

Pegasus nodded. “I’ll call my private doctor. Thank you, Jonouchi. You better go inside now, before people start looking for you too.”

The blond stammered awkwardly. “Anything else I can do?”

“Try to get the nameless Pharaoh to switch out. Little Yugi won’t be looking for Seto.” He reached into his pocket to take out a cotton handkerchief, wrapping it securely around Kaiba’s index finger that was bleeding the most.

“I’m on it. Call me if anything happens.”

After Jonouchi walked away, Pegasus sighed heavily and sat more comfortably on the pavement, still supporting Seto against his chest. “You’ve been way out of line too, dear Seto.” He dug into his pockets to take out his pack of cigarettes. He stuck one to his mouth and lit it with one hand, the other still resting on the younger’s shoulder. “Cigarette?”

Seto tilted his head up to glance at the burning glow, then reached his hand up and took it from Pegasus’ lips. He inhaled deeply, his lungs filling with smoke for the first time in years. He choked a bit at first, but he felt his heart ease for a second. He passed it back. “Why did you come?” His voice was defensive, his brows furrowed.

“Because,” Pegasus paused for another hit. “I saw you acting out of line. Don’t think your little shenanigans haven’t reached America.” He said, lightheartedly, then passed the smoke to Seto.

“I’m doing fine. It’s under control.” He insisted, drawing his knees a bit closer to his chest.

“If it was, you wouldn’t had come out of that club bloody and shaking.”

“Are you blaming me for not putting up a better fight?” Seto asked, incredulously, withdrawing his body from the other’s.

“No, Seto! You know I’m not. I’m just saying you need to be careful because…”

“Because I’m weak. Because I’ve grown weak. I know, I get it.” He was fuming, his eyes glaring daggers into the pavement. He itched to argue with Pegasus, but he knew he was in the right. They passed the smoke around in silence, until it burned down to its filter and Seto stubbed it against the pavement.

“I’m not here to hospitalise you. Stop being hostile.” Pegasus sighed heavily, seeing the headlights of a car approaching them, and he figured it must be the cab. He wrapped his arm around the younger’s waist and pulled him to his feet, letting him lean against him for support.

Kaiba breathed in deep and tried to clear his head. The blaring headlights made his eyes sting. He fought the lump growing in his throat and shook his head at himself. Carefully, he breathed out. “Thanks for being here.”

Pegasus practically beamed at him with a smile. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jonouchi is now an entrepreneur hosting parties and sh it lmfaoo but the party goes a bit sour near the end. the relationships are getting a bit more complicated. im pretty confident about this chapter, i really like it and i hope u do too!! ur thoughts and comments are keeping me going <3


	9. Chapter 9

Pegasus stared at the empty bed spot by his side, where the mattress still dipped hollowly, the warmth of a body long gone having completely dispersed. He run his fingers through the silky bedsheet and sighed, Seto had most likely stormed off the moment he had cracked his eyes open.

Thankfully, the doctor had been nice enough to visit them at a purely ungodly hour the night before, assuring them that there was no need for stitches to the CEO’s head or hands. Now Pegasus found himself itching to explain their situation to Mutou Yugi, but part of him felt that dealing with the spirit of a dead Pharaoh was somehow different than dealing with a human. From the looks of it, he was aware of his and Seto’s past relationship, which would certainly rouse some questions involving why he took him in last night. That kiss during spin the bottle didn’t help with anything. Pushing his qualms away, he grabbed his phone and looked through his phone for Yugi-boy. He pressed the call button and waited.

Yugi ignored the ringing of the mobile phone, buzzing against the glass of the nightstand. He was far too indulged in kissing Seto’s neck and listening to his pleased little sighs as he fondled him through his underwear.

Kaiba had started calling him at 5am, only about two hours since he went to bed after quite a few drinks at the party. He had seemed desperate to take him home with him, so he gave in without much thought. Turned out it had been a good idea.

Seto wrapped his arms around Yugi’s neck and pulled him closer, his legs squeezing his narrow waist in the dark. He lifted his sleeveless shirt over his head and run his hands up his taut chest, feeling his breath quiver when he run his fingertips over two perky nipples. In return, the Pharaoh slipped his hand into his underwear and begun jerking him. A deep grunt left his throat and he tipped his head back, unknowingly leaving more skin exposed for Yugi to bruise. “Fuck it, let’s fuck.” He gasped out, voice laced with neediness and exasperation.

“Always the romantic, Seto.” Yugi laughed huskily and bit on his earlobe, his hands pulling the jeans and boxers off his lover’s hips. He parted from him regretfully, but only for a moment, to fully pull them off his long legs. Seto tugged his sweater off his head and threw his head back against the pillows. Yugi leaned down and wrapped his hand around a delicate ankle as he kissed his knee lovingly, gradually moving further up his thighs and bringing his hand along, tracing the soft skin up to his hips. He started to suck a small bruise on his inner thigh and smiled when he felt Seto squirm, hands burying in his spiky hair and pulling just a little. He completely bypassed his cock and moved to his protruding hipbone, where he traced his teeth down close to where Seto ached to be touched. The tug on his hair told him to quit fooling around, so he pressed his lips against the tip of his cock and smiled triumphantly when he heard his partner’s breath catch in his throat.

Yugi regarded him with a smirk and dipped down, taking more of his length in his mouth as he begun bobbing his head, eliciting strangled moans from Seto. He was so quiet, even then. The way his inner thigh muscles twitched by his ears made Yugi’s chest rumble with need; one of his hands coming to massage the slight curve.

“Fuck-“ Seto cursed quietly, his hips trembling with a building orgasm. As if buzzed with electricity, Yugi stopped his movements and knelt back, having felt his body tense. “You’re the worst.” He breathed heavily, draping his hand over his mouth as he tried to even his breathing.

“I’ll make it up to you.” Yugi planted a fleeting kiss above Seto’s navel and yanked his sweater off his head, revealing his toned chest. He started to undo his own belts, and that’s when Seto’s hands found his body, a communal struggle starting in order to push the impossibly tight pants down. Freed of his confinements, he pushed his blond strands out of his face and took a moment to appreciate his lover’s body, naked and aroused, impossibly pale in the semi dark, his hair tousled from the way he moved his head down the pillows. With one final caress of his hip, he etched to the end of the bed and pulled the first drawer open, withdrawing a half finished bottle of lube. He quirked up his brow and stared at Seto incredulously.

“You sure can’t expect me not to masturbate.” He huffed, cheeks flushing a bit when Yugi settled between his legs again- And he wasn’t sure if it was due to the conversation or the magnificent dips of his collarbones and his neck that he so ached to kiss. He wanted him closer.

“I find it hot.” Yugi smirked and popped the cap open, then seemed to hesitate. “Lift your hips.”

Seto seemed confused when Yugi passed him the lube, pushing his hips off the bed for a second, until a pillow was put underneath them and Yugi seemed pleased. “Always so mindful.” He teased, shit eating grin plastered on his face when his lover leaned over and kissed him, retrieving the little bottle.

“I like taking care of you.” He said, matter-of-factly, and Seto felt a warm feeling form in his chest. His breath hitched when two slick fingers started tracing up and down his entrance, teasing and warming the liquid up. He gripped on Yugi’s shoulders and held him close, his body burning with arousal.

He pushed the first finger inside with ease and watched for changes in Seto’s expression. His brows furrowed and he bit the inside of his cheek. He moved slowly, experimentally, with the first, trying to figure out what kind of movements did his lover prefer. When he grew a bit more confident, he pushed in a second finger, smirking when a little gasp filled his ears. He thrust them in and out for a few moments, before he settled for slowly curling and uncurling them, looking for that spot that would make Seto shake. Arms wrapped tighter around his neck and Seto cried out indignantly, his legs coming to squeeze his partner’s waist as he kept up the slow torture. His toes curled when he kept massaging into that spot, his composure gradually cracking as pressure built behind his pelvis. “If you keep this up, I swear-“

“Sorry.” Yugi kissed the corner of his brow and added a third finger that almost went unnoticed, considering how aroused his partner was. He started thrusting them in and out, with the sole purpose of stretching his muscles.

“No, no you’re not.” Seto’s voice was quivering, his hips pushing back into Yugi’s slender fingers.

“You’re right, I’m not.”

Revelling in Seto’s irritated huff, he pulled his fingers out and sat back for a second, patting around for the lube again. “Thanks.” He whispered and took it from the other’s hands, soon to squeeze a generous amount into his palm and start jerking himself with long, smooth strokes. A sigh of relief came out, having been so concentrated on Seto he had forgotten how painfully horny the man made him feel.

“Hurry up.” Seto nudged Yugi’s hip with his knee and looked up, panting and wanton. It had been too long since he had someone fuck him and that someone definitely wasn’t as attractive as Yugi was, with his piercing eyes and prominent cheekbones.

Wiping his hand on Seto’s sheets unapologetically, he started to caress the thighs of his folded legs. “How is this position?”

Feeling a rush of excitement, Seto traced his hand down his partner’s toned arm. “I want to sit on your lap.”

Yugi had to fight to keep himself from cumming at the mental image of Seto straddling his hips, his breath so visibly stopping in his chest that his partner laughed. “You’re cruel, you know?” He wrapped his arms around a slender waist, at the same time that Seto pulled at his shoulders for support, his body coming to sit up right on his lap. He hovered on his knees for a moment, until they both got comfortable into the position, their chests pressed together and their arms tightly wrapped around one another.

Yugi let his hands slide down Seto’s hips to his ass, holding him gently as the CEO lowered himself on his cock, holding him in place with one hand. Both squeezed their eyes shut as Seto sunk down on him and Yugi was embraced in mouth watering warmth. He pressed his forehead against Seto’s collarbone and breathed heavily, massaging his hips with his hands as quiet grunts filled his ears. Unable to wait too long, he started thrusting his hips up, as much as the position allowed him to, and Seto did the same, faster and with a wider range of motion.

Seto’s head was fuzzy with sensations, his eyes nearly watering up when he already felt the tip of Yugi’s cock brush against his spot. He rolled his hips according to his partner’s guidance, his hands pushing and lifting him to a rhythm that had them both moaning like broken records. He leaned down and tilted Yugi’s head up, smashing their lips together messily, full of tongue and teeth, the need for each other growing by the second and burning them up in a sweet flame.

Yugi felt his lover’s body tighten around him and he knew that neither of them were going to last long. He dragged his nails down his waist, his brows furrowing at the broken moan that left his Seto so unrestrained that his voice cracked. He started to pant, his mind clouding with carnal need as he shoved Seto on his back and started thrusting into him with renewed need, long legs coming to wrap around his waist on reflex as their skin slapped together and pleasured cries filled the otherwise silent room. He grabbed Seto’s cock and started pumping him, heavy eyes observing his unfocused stare and his slack jaw as he pummelled into him. He pressed his lips against his jaw and started gasping, his own orgasm building up threateningly fast. “Come for me, Seto.” He whispered, voice rich with lust, ringing like a deep melody in Seto’s ears.

Everything seemed to fade out as he thrusted back without any particular pattern, his eyes squeezing shut and his head rolling to the side, riding out the qualms of his orgasm as Yugi did the same and they both finished hard, loud cries tearing through their throats. Seto just had to thank the Gods that these walls were soundproof. He slumped against the mattress and started panting like his lungs hadn’t seen air for years, his fringe damp against his forehead and his body absolutely spent. Yugi was still trying to catch his breath above him, his golden strands tickling Seto’s face.

“Earth to Yugi.” He whispered out, after a few seconds, his hand coming to brush his hair behind his ear. Yugi glanced into his glazed eyes and sighed heavily, leaning down for a slow, lazy kiss, resting his full weight on Seto’s chest. Their bodies cooled together slowly, a painful reminder that he needed to pull out. Regrettably, he held Seto’s hips and pulled out as slowly as he could, as not to cause him any discomfort.

“You’re incredible.” Yugi sighed, returning to their previous position, just to kiss down his bony chest as a sign of gratefulness. Seto could only flash at the compliment, his hands curling into his lover’s messy hair. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and sighed. It was seven in the morning and they still hadn’t slept. Part of him considered going straight to work. “Don’t even think of it.”

“Caught.” Seto smiled sheepishly, now slipping a bit lower into the pillows. “Pull the covers up?”

Yugi nodded sleepily and slowly moved off Seto, to pull the duvets up and lay by his side. Much to his surprise, the CEO curled in against him, forehead pressed into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and draped an arm around his narrow shoulders, finally letting the tiredness spread through his body.

Seto breathed Yugi’s scents in and closed his eyes, his warmth and his embrace giving him a feeling of security. He felt too exhausted to think of the events of the night, and part of him felt guilty for not telling his partner before they proceeded. He knew he only had a few hours before the sun would rise high up and he wouldn’t be able to conceal the cuts in his palms or the bruising on his lower lip, but he didn’t want to think of that yet, as his partner’s steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

Seto woke up tossing, his heartbeat loud in his chest and his eyesight blurry. He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, a familiar sense of anxiety clutching at his heart. He glanced at Yugi’s sleeping form and dared to breathe deeply. He brought his knees up and pressed his face into them, his throat going dry. He recalled everything in his mind and felt his gut churn. He needed to see Mokuba.

He pulled himself out of bed, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth at the prospect of Yugi waking up alone. He put on a pair of sweatpants and a large navy sweater that reached well bellow his ass and left the room, not bothering to freshen up. He went straight to his brother’s room and knocked on the door, waiting anxiously.

“Come in!” Came Mokuba’s instant response and Seto cracked the door open, slipping inside quietly. The younger grimaced visibly, not looking up from his comic book. “Are you alright? It’s not like you to knock.”

Seto opened his mouth to argue but no words came out. When silence filled the room, Mokuba’s grey eyes moved up and his mouth fell open in a silent gasp. “Did you get into a fight?!” Mokuba jumped to his feet and moved closer, tugging on his brother’s shoulder to make him lean down, to inspect his face better. His frown deepened. “Why are you so quiet? What’s wrong?”

Seto didn’t know what to say. He let out a heavy breath and sat on the plush carpet, legs crossed. “Sit down for a second.” He let out a heavy breath through his nose and pressed his palm to his face. “I… yesterday…” he felt his chest tighten and he grit his teeth, willing himself not to get all emotional again.

“Seto, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Mokuba said, smiling gently. He had a horrible feeling about this. He sat by his brother and wrapped both of his hands around his, holding on tightly. His brother shook his head and wrapped his arms around him, effectively shocking him into stillness for a few good moments, but he quickly reciprocated. God, Seto had grown. They both had. He hadn’t come to him in years. He grimaced at the scent coming off his brother, blood and sweat and alcohol- Was that smoke? “Were you with Pegasus?”

“Please, don’t ask.” Seto’s voice quivered and he grit his teeth, angry at himself for his cracking composure.

It had been years since Mokuba smelled that stench. He had grown too used to his well groomed Seto, with his hair gel and his perfume and his ability to always smell like he had just left the shower. This Seto was a mess Mokuba had pushed to the depth of his memories. “I don’t know what’s wrong,” He begun, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. “But I love you.” He found himself tracing his brother’s hair, sticky and in desperate need for a wash, but he didn’t care. “I miss you talking to me.”

“I’m sorry, Mokuba.” Seto felt inadequate, a lump swelling in his throat. He had promised Mokuba that he would never come to this again, that he would look after him like a parent. A parent wasn’t meant to crumble. Bitterness spread in his mouth like poison. “God, I’m a shit fucking brother.”

“Seto.” Mokuba shook his head and pressed his face into his brother’s hair. “I just worry.”

“Sorry.” He felt like a broken record, Mokuba was the only person that he could apologise to without much thought, so, in a way, it felt cathartic to do so. They stayed like that for a while, completely silent, and Seto felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. Sometimes he forgot how important family was to him.

“Had coffee yet?” Mokuba asked, still caressing Seto’s hair.

“No.” He whispered, looking down to their knees. Mokuba had grown. They both had.

“Now I know something is off.” The younger laughed, then wrapped his hand around Seto’s. “Let’s go downstairs, I’ll make you some.”

“The staff-“

“I’ll send them home.” Mokuba knew that whenever his brother was down he wanted to minimise human contact as much as possible. Maybe it would be a good time for a close friends only situation.

They both stood, Seto still looking as groggy as ever when they made their way down the stairs. He went straight for the couch and threw himself across it, taking up all of the space, fully resigned. He distantly heard Mokuba walking around and talking to the staff, then starting the coffee maker.

He blinked when he heard his phone vibrate with a text message. Picking it up from the coffee table, he squinted to read it. It was the blonde idiot.

_yo, rich boy! evrthn alr?_

Kaiba felt deeply confused and for all his tries, he couldn’t come up with anything that wasn’t mildly insulting in the least. He responded with the most business typical reply he could muster.

_Yes. Thanks for yesterday._

_u rlly couldnt b coldr_

_Sue me, dog._

Yugi came downstairs shortly after, in a state equally disheveled as Seto’s, the lack of sleep not treating them nearly as well as Mokuba. He had stolen a couple of clothes from his lover and was now lazily shuffling across the kitchen, noticing the absence of staff members. He glanced at Seto, positively dead on the couch, so he smirked playfully and approached him. He placed one knee on the cushions and leaned down to kiss him. “This is so unlike-“ he paused, his head finally stirring clear when he saw the bruise and small cuts on Seto’s lips. He shifted, now squeezing in on the couch by his partner’s side. “What happened?”

Seto looked away when Yugi held his chin, very obviously examining his face for some answers. He only shook his head. “Please, not now.”

Yugi opened his mouth to protest, but chose to shift his gaze at Mokuba, who shook his head at him. He breathed deeply and tried to switch topics. “Did you send the staff home today?” He climbed across Seto’s body and laid on his chest, pressing his ear against his heart, satisfied to hear it beat steadily.

“I did!” Mokuba chimed from the kitchen. “Yugi! Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” He groaned, a sigh of relief coming out when Seto started rubbing his nape. He felt awfully hangover. He looked at his general direction, voice dropping into a whisper. “Do you feel alright? I mean, after what happened in the morning-“

Seto rolled his eyes. “That’s probably the only thing I’m feeling alright with.” He smacked Yugi’s hip as means of reassurance, satisfied when he gasped indignantly. He wrapped his arms around his neck and sighed deeply, quite content to just be cuddling on the plush couch while Mokuba made breakfast. Well, it was noon, but it didn’t matter.

“Seto?” Yugi asked after a while, his hands caressing gentle circles on his sides. “Pegasus had been calling me earlier. Did you talk to him by any chance?”

Seto felt his blood drain from his veins. He had to think quickly and professionally to dodge the question. “Yes, we talked. He was looking for me, don’t worry.”

“Mhm.” Yugi hummed, nuzzling into the fabric of his lover’s sweater.

“That’s nasty.” Mokuba grimaced, folding his hands against his hips. “You guys feel like getting up any time soon?”

Yugi snorted and sat up, seemingly more awake than Kaiba was. He stood and offered him a helping hand, which he begrudgingly took and sat up. He waited for the blood to flow back into his feet, before he stood up and walked to the kitchen’s aisle with Yugi, each of them taking a seat on one of the stools.

Mokuba slid a plate of toast and jam in front of Yugi, as well as a cup of tea. He gave his brother his coffee. “Seto, do you want anything?”

Seto shook his head and grimaced. “I vomited so much yesterday-“

Mokuba sighed and leaned his elbows against the marble top, glancing at Yugi happily munching on his breakfast. “Plain toast?”

“Fine.” Seto shrugged and Mokuba beamed at him, which made Yugi smile visibly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u sure didnt expect that smut transition but here i am!! seto is screwing Up okay he is hiding his problems big time and making up lies to cover them more. how does that end? we also get to see seto using physical contact as a coping mechanism a LOT which is crucial!! anyways hope u liked this chapter, always eager to know what u think <3


	10. Chapter 10

Yugi sighed heavily as he lifted a box that had arrived this morning onto the counter, grabbing a paper cutter and slitting the adhesive tape open. He found inside a bunch of new board games, which he carefully took out and stacked on the counter one by one. He then let the empty box on the floor and grabbed another one, yet again tearing it open and repeating the same process. After another five, he went to the storage room to see if he had any deliveries today.

The dingle of a bell filled his ears and he sighed heavily, placing his hands on his hips. Work never ended. He pulled on a soft smile and walked to the front counter. “Hey, how can I- Pegasus!” He smiled, propping his chin in his palm. “What brings you here?”

“Yugi-boy,” the silver haired man bowed deeply, surprisingly dressed down, compared to his usual, frivolous, red suit. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you for a couple days. Your grandfather told me you worked today.”

“Yes, he took pity on me the other days, Duel Society’s party had me wrecked.” He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. “How may I help you?”

“Actually, dear Yugi, may I speak to the nameless Pharaoh?” His tone etched with seriousness, his usual cheery tone lost somewhere between his last two sentences.

Yugi held his puzzle and looked down, feeling a cold wave wash over his back. Was Yami feeling unsettled? “Sure. Is it something serious?”

“I’m afraid so.” Pegasus nodded to emphasise his point and glanced around the small store.

Yugi closed his eyes gently and took in a deep breath, his body feeling lighter. When he opened them again, they were sharper, and Yami was upfront. “What is it, Pegasus?” His voice came out hostile, his knuckles going white at the edges as he lifted another box up and started cutting it open, desperate to distract his mind.

“It’s about Seto.”

His hands slowly stilled on the box. The man sure knew how to hold someone’s attention. “What about him?”

“Do you know why he left the party early?” Pegasus inquired, brows furrowed, a mental challenge building up inside him. The Pharaoh had his defences high.

“He got drunk.” He said, matter of factly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Pegasus frowned deeply and shook his head. “No, dear Pharaoh. Jonouchi called me outside about half an hour after you two fled spin the bottle and Seto was there. He was vomiting and shaking like a child because he felt the way he did as a child.”

Yami stared in confusion. “I don’t understand.” He let his arms hang limply at his sides. “What does this mean? Speak clearly. What happened?”

Pegasus’ mouth flapped for a second, realising there was a big portion of truth that Kaiba hadn’t shared with his partner. “He was assaulted in the bathroom.”

“What?” Yami felt his head spin, his brows furrowing. “He didn’t say anything-“

“He never says anything, dear Pharaoh.” He shook his head. “He was shaken up, so I took him to my room-“

“You took him to your room?” Anger flared up within him and he put both hands on the counter. “Why didn’t you call me instead?”

“Listen, me and Seto are a thing of the past-“

Yami interrupted him again. “It sure didn’t look like you felt that way when you kissed him.”

_“Yami.”_

He blinked and tried to focus at his partner and Pegasus simultaneously.

_“I know you’re angry, but let him speak.“_

“Please, set our personal differences aside and listen. I’m doing this for Seto. He seems happy when he’s around you.” Pegasus tried again and the Pharaoh nodded reluctantly. “He didn’t want to talk to you, he can act stone cold but he doesn’t like making his loved ones sad. He packs things inside until he can’t handle them any more. Last time he was this bad I had to sign him into a clinic, he was trying to push me away.”

“Pegasus, I don’t know why I’m learning all this from you.” Yami pressed his palms into his face and slid them up, pushing his hair back. Why did Seto have sex with him after being harassed by some stranger the very same night?

“Because he won’t tell you until it’s too late.” Pegasus smiled sympathetically, hating the look of despair on the Pharaoh’s young face. “Please, do look out for him. I take it he hasn’t really talked to you about his father?”

“Did he...?” Yami asked, horrified.

“No, no, he didn’t. He was violent, yes, but not predatory. However, he did little about associates who were very obviously harassing Seto, from childhood to teenagehood. Then, of course, he got frisky...” He had to stop himself from saying too much. “Seto has a difficult relationship with sex, don’t blame him. He has a lot of pent up anger.”

“That doesn’t excuse him.” Yami was trying so hard not to sound selfish, but he felt used. “He should had told me before-“

“Listen, dear Pharaoh,” Pegasus took his hand between his two own to get his attention. “He loves you, that much is clear, he just doesn’t know how to deal with you loving him back. Did he come to you after the party?”

Yami closed his eyes and recalled the night, the way everything had felt just right. He now felt sick. “Yes.”

“I figured. He always does it, he always puts himself in these situations when he feels worthless. He doesn’t take it well, being made to feel small. You know his state.” He looked down, regrettably. “He’s weak. He felt used, he needed to feel good again.”

Yami shook his head repeatedly, willing himself not to cry as his eyes stung painfully. “He’s always good for me.”

“But he doesn’t see it.” Pegasus said gently, feeling the anger behind the Pharaoh’s eyes. “Please, don’t act irrationally. I understand I’ve overstayed my welcome.” He slowly withdrew his hands and took a few steps back. “However, you’re always welcome to call me if you need any help. Have a good day, dear Pharaoh.”

The dingle of the bell left him alone in the shop again, and this time, his chest felt so tight he could hardly breathe. Mindlessly, he took out his phone and begun writing a text.

_“What are you doing?!”_

“I’m letting him know how I feel.” Yami murmured, trying to think of the right words to say. He looked at the last message Kaiba had sent.

_Can’t wait to see you._

_“No! What are you going to tell him?”_

“I don’t fucking know, Yugi! What am I supposed to say?!”

_“You’re not thinking clearly.”_

“How can I?!” Yami tossed the phone on the counter and thumped down on the chair.

_“You always tell him he shouldn’t push himself into telling you things he isn’t comfortable saying. He trusts you not to push him.”_

“He got assaulted while I was in the other room, dancing and having a drink with Anzu! It is about me as well!”

_“Don’t be fucking selfish!”_

Yami paled, his mouth hanging open when his partner yelled at him. That was a first. “I don’t want him to shoulder it all alone.” He whispered, defeated, his shoulders tensing visibly with the effort not to cry.

 _“He came to you because he needed you.”_ Yugi said, reassuringly, and placed a ghostly hand on his other self’s shoulder.

“I don’t know how to help him.” Yami’s chest heaved and his voice cracked. “He’s so difficult sometimes-“

A strong pang tore through his chest and his vision whitened.

The blaring sun blinding him seemed to ease as he looked down, a tall figure half obscured by the painfully strong light stood before him. His skin was tan and his hair was long, but he couldn’t see his face. He felt a strong sense of longing at the way the warm breeze tousled his brown strands. If only he could see his face. The figure laughed and the voice was so painfully familiar his eyes welled up. Then he was moving away from him and he stretched his gold-clad arms out, trying to grab at his shirt.

When he opened his eyes again, he was leaning over the counter, panting heavily. The room spun.

_“Yami! Yami, are you okay?!”_

Yugi’s voice kept blaring into his head and he shook with nausea and a horrible feeling. “Seto…” he whispered, pressing his hand against his mouth. “Oh, God, Seto!” He quickly circled the counter and ran outside, hands frantically typing away at his phone. Something was terribly wrong.

_“What’s wrong, Yami? What did you see?!”_

Yami completely ignored his other self as he dialled up Mokuba’s number and shoved the phone to his ear. “Pick up, pick up!” He cursed loudly, his heart beating in his throat as he hailed over a taxi and yanked the back door open. “Kaiba mansion- Mokuba!” He gasped into the phone, pressing his palm into his face. “Listen, I know this is sudden, but please, please check on Seto. Something is wrong, I know something is wrong. I’m on my way.”

Nothing could had prepared him for what he saw, or for Mokuba’s screams of anguish, echoing two floors down to the entrance. He didn’t even bother taking his shoes off, just dashed upstairs to Seto’s room. He was unconscious, pale as a sheet, and his chest didn’t move, Mokuba holding him against his body on the floor.

“Why?! Why?! He was just fine yesterday! He helped me with Maths and we played games-“ Mokuba choked and started sobbing inconsolably, his face firmly pressed into a mop of brown hair.

Yugi stood rooted to his spot, unable to process the situation. Seto looked as good as dead. He felt like a piece of him was being torn apart. He hadn’t talked to him since yesterday. His heart fluttered with pain and his eyes welled up. He felt ill, like he was going to faint. The figure flashed behind his eyes again and he felt bile climb up his throat. What was he paying for?

He dropped to his knees, completely numb and shaken up. He reached out and held Seto’s hand, trying to locate a pulse through his panic. “Oh god…” he burst out in tears, his shoulders shaking.

Everything seemed to be gliding by in frames, Mokuba viciously shaking Seto’s still body, trying to wake him up, medics bursting into the room, a small boy running after them and doors slamming. He was frozen to the floor.

_“Yami! Get up!”_

He couldn’t move, he was completely paralysed. Seto was…

_“Yami!”_

Yugi forcefully pushed himself to the front. He took the steps to the ground floor two at a time and ran after Mokuba, just in time to squeeze into the ambulance. He knew his other self would be thanking him for taking the initiative. And to an extent, he was glad he wasn’t seeing all the sorrow and panic in checking Seto for any life signs. He could hear him crying and screaming in anguish inside the puzzle. It broke his heart. Then, there was silence, the very same silence that he heard when that vision had appeared.

Yugi spent all day comforting Mokuba, holding his hands and promising to him that Seto was going to leave the emergency room in one piece. The boy had been inconsolable, crying and wheezing for hours on and only stopping when his eyes couldn’t shed any more tears.

Their heads snapped up when a doctor approached them to inform them that Seto had been moved to a private ICU room on the top floor and would only be allowed family visitations. Yugi bit his lip and looked down at his puzzle, then took a leap of faith. He told the doctor he was Seto’s boyfriend, hoping that this would guarantee him entrance- and truly enough, it did. The doctor informed them that they would have a better clinical image in a few hours, but mentioned that Seto should be able to wake up soon.

“Yami…” he whispered, letting a few metres’ distance between him and Mokuba as he followed him to Seto’s room. “We are seeing Kaiba, do you hear me?”

 _“Is he alive?”_ Came the choked response, and Yugi’s heart clenched.

“He is. We don’t know too much yet, but the doctor said he’ll most likely wake up.”

_“I want to be with him. I want to talk to him.”_

“He’s not conscious yet-“

_“Give him the puzzle. Mokuba will watch out for it, just for today. I need to be close to him.”_

The desperation in his partner’s voice broke his heart to the point that tears stung his eyes. “I trust you.”

_“Thank you, Partner.”_

He closed his eyes gently, and when he opened them again, he could no longer hear his partner in his head, the millennium puzzle gently nestled in his hands. He approached Kaiba’s bed and placed the puzzle on the bed, letting it rest by his head, thinking the doctors wouldn’t appreciate the added accessory. He glanced at Mokuba, who nodded at him through teary eyes. He needed to go, he had left the shop unlocked- And he didn’t want to invade the scene any longer. Seto looked horrible, his cheeks sunken in and his jaw more protruding than before. He was connected to a ventilator, an oxygen mask secured to his face. There were cables and tubes all over his arms, connecting him to a heart rate machine, the faint beep haunting.

His eyes opened into a wet, dark room. There was water up to his ankles, wetting his pants and making them cling to his skin. Confusedly, he begun walking around, looking for Seto’s consciousness. He was met by a corridor full of large doors, eerily similar to the ones in the Kaiba mansion. He wrapped his hand around one of the handles and twisted it gently, opening the door carefully. He walked inside, only to realise that he was in an office on top of a high rise building. He paused, his eyes darting to a small, brown haired figure. It was Seto, but he was tiny.

Seto sat in a chair, arms hanging limply at his sides as he stared wide eyed at a towering figure, the man Yugi recognised as Gozaburo Kaiba.

“Open your mouth and I’ll ask again, Seto.” He said, firmly, the boy’s mouth opening reluctantly. The old man took his cigar out of his lips and placed it on his adopted son’s, the burning edge on the inside of his mouth. Yugi begun to shake with rage, watching as Seto tried to keep still, to keep the cigar from touching his tongue and burning his mouth. He started to cough from the smoke, his deep blue eyes watering up.

“What is the answer to question three?”

Seto willed himself not to cry and held up two digits of his hand. He had got it wrong first, so he knew it wasn’t three. It was between one and two. Gozaburo sighed and took the cigar out, the boy bursting into a fit of coughing. While he leaned over, the man struck him across the face, sending him off the chair and into the floor with a cry. “You guessed that.”

“I didn’t!” Seto spat, his eyes sharpening with anger as he cradled his bruising cheek in his little hands.

The scene dispersed before his eyes and Yugi felt the blood flow back into his limbs, a breath he didn’t know he had been holding finally flowing out. He didn’t know if he had the nerve to open another door.

Breathing heavily, he went for another one down the hall.

The scene that set before him was different. It was a hotel room, early in the morning, and Seto was older, looking much more like the man he knew. By his side, there was Pegasus, laying with him on the bed, while Seto curled against his side, sharing a cigarette with the man. His chest was as bony as it was now, his legs eerily thin. He recognised this look.

What he didn’t recognise were the deep welts across his wrists, which Pegasus proceeded to kiss when Seto passed him the smoke.

“Do they still hurt?” His voice was gentle, almost unheard.

“No.” Kaiba retrieved his hand, tucking it underneath the duvets.

“Are you ready?”

“No.” Seto bit his lip and looked outside, his eyes taking in the view of the dawning sky.

The scene liquified again, leaving him with more questions than answers. Determined, he walked down the long hall, his feet pattering in the water audibly. He opened the door to what he knew was Mokuba’s room- and he felt relief wash over him. He saw Seto, Seto exactly like he had left him, curled up on the floor, knees drawn to his chest, sleeping deeply. Found him.

Yugi slowly walked to the centre of the room and knelt down, his knees dipping into the water. He reached his hand out and begun to caress Seto’s hair, watching the way his eyelids twitched and he begun to stir. “Seto, it’s me.”

Seto grunted quietly, his eyelids twitching. “I’m so tired.” He whispered, wrapping his arms around himself. “Cold.”

“You need to wake up.” Yugi frowned faintly, wrapping his arms around his lover’s body and pulling him close.

“Just a while longer.” He whispered, feeling unable to structure a proper sentence or argument. “Why are you here?”

“To help you wake up.” Yugi whispered, gently, his fingertips caressing his Seto’s cheek now.

“Am I hallucinating?” He cracked his eyes open, taking in his lover’s partially obscured form. The room was so dark.

“No, I’m here.” Yugi leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. His skin was so cold. “Please, you need to wake up, before you slip deeper into your mind.”

“The hell does that mean?” Seto grumbled, putting one hand into the ground, noting how water reached up over his wrist. “What the fuck?”

“My mind,” Yugi begun, smiling softly. “It’s like a labyrinth. Yours, yours seems flooded.”

“I’m not ready for your occult shit yet.” He rubbed his eyes and tried to breathe, feeling his chest tight. “Hurts…”

“I know. I’m sorry. It will feel better soon.” Yugi pulled Seto’s arm around his shoulder, to help him stand. His lover wobbled widely and he quickly wrapped his other arm around his waist, to steady him. “We need to go to the front-“

The moment they stepped out of Mokuba’s room, they were plunged in deep waters, their bodies sinking rapidly. Seto gripped his hand tightly, going down first and watching his lover from below.

Yugi held on for dear life, his eyes brimming with tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woop woop!! shit just got quite serious. this chapter was brought to u by: i love to watch the pharaoh suffer at different situations association. very very switchy chapter, as Yami feels very lost. a bit darker than the rest, I think. Love u all, love and appreciate the feedback and anyone who sticks to this story <3


	11. Chapter 11

Seto’s eyes cracked open in a daze, his irises immediately assaulted by fluorescent lights. His entire body felt too heavy, his ribcage was crushing his lungs and he fought to take a breath. He tried his peripheral vision, only to be taken over by a pounding headache. The last thing he remembered was him and Yugi, sinking in the deep side of a pool. Why had they gone swimming in December?

He curled his fingers and stretched them again, every joint in his body felt unbearably stiff. A dull thud shook him and he gripped the white bedsheet, a mop of black hair filling his vision.

“Seto!” Mokuba was gripping on the rail of the hospital bed, his heart pounding in his ears.

“Mm-“ Seto tried to speak, a painful feeling tearing through his throat when he did. It felt awfully dry.

“Don’t speak. You’ve been out for two days.” Mokuba whispered, placing his hand on Seto’s hollow cheek. “I will call your doctor-“ he was just about to storm off when he felt a weak grip around his wrist, followed by a shake of the head.

“Yugi first.” He whispered, the strain somewhat lesser now. He wanted Yugi to be there. Mokuba smiled sympathetically at him and nodded, digging out his phone.

_Seto is awake. Get your ass over._

_coming_

It took about ten minutes for Yugi to arrive, having conveniently borrowed Jonouchi’s bike for speed. He ran to the lift and tapped his foot anxiously against the carpet, watching the numbers blink as he reached the top floor. He had come empty handed, which, in retrospect, he did regret, but he had wanted to be there as soon as possible. He opened the door unceremoniously, his breath catching in his throat when he saw _his_ Seto awake. He looked weak and tired, but he was awake. He walked to the end of the bed and pulled him into a suffocating hug before he could even begin to react, face pressing deep in his brown locks and shoulders tensing. He felt his chest burn again, only this time, he let himself cry.

“I love you.” He whispered out, pressing a firm kiss to his forehead. Seto’s eyes had gone wide with shock, his hands gripping the back of his lover’s jacket. He buried his face into his shoulder and nodded furiously.

“I love you too.” His ears were full of Yugi’s heartbeat, making him realise that he was there, that he was warm and very much alive, unlike himself. “I saw-“ His lungs constricted painfully and he started to cough roughly, his eyes prickling with tears of pain.

“Seto, Seto, quiet.” Yugi said, voice laced with fear as he pushed his lover down to rest. “You’re awake now, we have all the time in the world.” He smiled reassuringly at Seto’s worried expression and cupped his cheek, just to feel the weight of his face.

Their eyes snapped to the door when they heard it creak, revealing the form of Mokuba and a doctor that Seto didn’t recognise. In all their need for each other, neither of them noticed when Mokuba had left to spare them some privacy. Yugi stood up and moved to the side of the bed, now settling for holding his partner’s hand when the doctor approached.

The man inspected the heart monitor for a second, then stood back with a smile. “How are you feeling, Mr. Kaiba?”

Kaiba only grimaced in response, causing for Mokuba to smile.

“Figured.” The doctor said, now picking up the medical card from the end of the bed. “So, Mr. Kaiba, what you suffered was a severe case of arrhythmia.” He waved his hand at the confused looks he received. “It’s when your heart beats at irregular rhythms. Usually, patients with it suffer from palpitations, but with your weight, mr. Kaiba, your heart usually beat too slow. It struggled to regulate blood in your body, so it overworked itself and you collapsed.”

Mokuba threw his brother a pointed glare, followed by Yugi’s look of immense worry. “Were there further complications? Will he be alright after this?”

The man seemed skeptical. “His examinations keep on showing improvement. His heart is young and strong, so it seems that he will be able to make a full recovery under strict supervision, but, mr. Kaiba,” he threw a stern look at his patient. “The odds won’t always be in your favour.”

“Doctor,” Yugi seemed confused, he hoped that his partner was listening. “How will the arrhythmia go away?”

“Only by putting on some weight, I’m afraid.”

Seto narrowed his eyes at the man, feeling his lover squeeze his hand apologetically.

“Once you’re out of danger, you will be admitted to a clinic specialising-“

“No.” Seto whispered out, gathering all his strength to push himself to a sitting position. The mere effort had him gasping for air.

“I’m afraid your brother has already signed the papers.” the doctor looked at him with unease, his patient’s weak laughter breaking the silence of the room.

“My brother?” He spat, his throat felt like it was being gripped with thorns. “I am his legal guardian, not the other way around.”

“In cases like this, the closest relative is responsible for admittance, since the patient is not deemed fit to take that decision.”

“I’m not some psycho-“

“That’s not what I said, mr. Kaiba.” The doctor responded calmly, throwing a glance at the two other people in the room, who seemed visibly tense. “It’s for your own good.”

“No one gets to decide for me whether I’m going into a fucking looney house or not.” Kaiba spat, regarding his brother with a vicious glare.

“Like I said, this facility only works with patients with disordered eating-“

“Shut the fuck up. I don’t need that.” Seto grit his teeth, feeling his blood pump in his ears.

“Seto!” Mokuba cried out at the impoliteness, yet the doctor seemed completely cool headed.

“I understand that you’re feeling like I am to blame in this situation, however-“

“Don’t you dare patronise me!” Seto’s tone rose to a shrill and his eyes widened. His chest tightened and he begun to shake, hands coming to grip at his neck. Couldn’t breathe. He was feeling nauseous all over again and his chest hurt like he had been stabbed. The heart monitor started going crazy, the beeping fading away from his consciousness when hands grabbed his shoulders to stabilise him.

“Mr. Kaiba, focus on breathing.” The man sounded horribly stressed, looking between him and the heart monitor. He gave the person that had been introduced as his patient’s partner a look, which made Yugi join him in his efforts to calm Seto. He started rubbing his back and whispering to him that everything would be alright. Seto tried to follow some breathing instructions, his vision obscuring with the lack of air in his chest. A shaky inhale made everyone sigh in relief, the CEO gradually coming down with his heartbeat. The doctor stepped back, visibly distressed. “Perhaps we should talk another time.” He bowed politely and left the room, leaving everyone in deafening silence.

“What the fuck was that for?” Mokuba hissed, regarding his brother with a sharp glare- which he promptly returned.

“Don’t argue, you two.” Yugi’s voice was sharp, not wanting for Seto to spiral into yet another episode. He decided to change the topic entirely, now pulling a chair to sit close to the bed. He took long fingers into his hand and smiled warmly, watching as his lover’s edge slowly worked itself off his tense shoulders. “All you have to do for now is focus on getting well.”

“I want coffee.” Seto croaked out, which made Yugi and Mokuba laugh, the mood considerably lighter now.

“Green tea for you only, I’m afraid.” Yugi let his head rest on Seto’s stomach and looked up to his face, the unmistakable tiredness in his eyes making his heart break.

“How am I supposed to work with-“

“It’s on me, Seto. I’m going to work things around the company while you’re recovering.” Mokuba assured, a fuzzy feeling spreading within him when he saw the relief in his brother’s expression. “Speaking of that, I should go check on them. I’ve been here for two days.” He stretched his arms above his head, few of his joints popping.

“Sorry, Mokuba.” He whispered, but his brother waved at him dismissively and left him alone with Yugi. He felt a familiar warmth spread across his stomach when he looked at his lover, now alone in the room for the first time in what felt like eternity. He wanted to hold him and talk to him and share everything he felt in the past few days, but he hardly had it in him to move a muscle. Yugi must had sensed it, because he reciprocated instead, hoisting himself up on the bed to sit by his side, electricity spreading where their bodies connected. Seto’s pale hand came to grip his with all the strength he could muster, which would had felt awfully limp for anyone healthy, but it filled Yugi’s heart with warmth. He leaned over and brushed a brown fringe back with the fingertips of his free hand, pressing a gentle kiss to the arch of his lover’s brow.

“I was so worried, Seto.” He settled for pressing their foreheads together, a pained smile bringing tears to his amethyst eyes. He squeezed them shut and refused to cry in front of Seto, it would only make him feel worse. J  
He pressed their foreheads together and let out a tender sigh, just relishing in the closeness of the two. He missed the snarky comments and the annoyed grunts, but just being able to look into deep blue eyes was enough. “You look like you’re high off your ass.”

A chocked laugh vibrated through Seto’s chest and he nodded, not caring at all about the fact that the mere act of laughing had him wheezing. “I am.” His whisper was nearly inaudible but Yugi seemed to catch on. He cupped both of his cheeks in his hands and nuzzled into his neck, smelling an awful lot like hospital gown and disinfectant- but it was still Seto.

“Do you want me to bring you some books next time?” He asked, his own voice barely above a whisper now. “You could make me a list.”

Seto nodded, a feeling so strong spreading across his chest when Yugi pushed a few strands of hair behind his ears that he found it hard to breathe. He felt cared for. His lover brought a hand to his chest and started massaging it gently, working a considerable amount of tension off his body. He felt his eyelids heavy, his stupid needs yet again betraying him as he fought to keep his eyes open. He didn’t want their time to cut short.

Yugi smiled at him and begun to caress his hair, a movement that he knew was bound to make him sleepier. Seto’s accusatory look was considerably softer than he must had aimed to, but he seemed to admit defeat as his eyelids begun to flutter shut. “Sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

The days rolled slowly, the first few having Seto in a dream-like state, in and out of sleep and hardly being able to say anything, too engulfed in the company of his own brain, which in return, was heavily medicated and he couldn’t wander much. He was made to eat three times a day, which was more than his stomach remembered how to handle, which often resulted in awful stomach pains that had him sweating. However, his heart was growing stronger, and by the end of the week, he could speak again and sit up-straight. He was allowed to have foods he felt comfortable with, at a proper amount, of course, but it was better than having things that made him nauseous shoved under his nose. Yugi had been there all along, alternating visitation time with Mokuba to make sure he wasn’t really alone and bored.

The day of his release was closing by and he was dreading it for two reasons. One, Mokuba had arranged a welcome home party, which practically meant meeting every idiot he couldn’t stand on a good day, and two, he would go into treatment in a matter of days.

He woke up at an ungodly hour on the last day, his shoulders hunching up and his nose crinkling upon realisation that the sun wasn’t even up yet. He was anxious. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, the wires and tubes had been removed yesterday and his punctured hands felt surprisingly light. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, staring into nothing in particular, because before he knew it, the door creaked open and a figure that made his heart skip a beat walked into the room, warm and vibrant and holding a cup of what Seto knew was coffee. He could had smelled it from a mile away.

“Something tells me you’re happier to see the coffee than you are to see me.” Yugi smiled cheekily and dropped a backpack to the chair by the bed. He had brought a change of clothes for Seto. “It’s decaf. Doctor approved.” Yugi held the cup out to his lover, who smiled gratefully and took a tentative sip. His shoulders slouched and he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.

“You have your perks, I guess.” Seto tried to sound uninterested, which earned him a laugh and a smack on the shoulder. He looked outside the window for a second, seeing clouds gathering. It was going to be a rainy day.

“What are you brooding about, again?” Yugi sighed, utterly exasperated as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Nothing.” He murmured, letting his head rest on top of the other’s. Being with him wasn’t half bad, he had to admit, especially after everything. “You know, I had a dream, a while ago.” Yugi made a grunt for him to continue. “You were trying to wake me up, I was sleeping on the floor of Mokuba’s room. Everything was wet and dark, like some pipe had broken. Then we tried to leave the room, but it was like we fell straight through some underwater cliff, we started sinking and sinking...”

Yugi swallowed his breath. Was it time to tell Seto that it hadn’t been a dream? That it had merely been him trying to pull him out of the depths of unconsciousness? He was terribly afraid of upsetting him. “Must had been terrifying.” It had been. He had witnessed it all, but the memories he saw shook him more. He glanced at Seto’s wristwatch and let out a heavy sigh. “You need to dress up, Mokuba will arrive in a while so we can take you home.”

The CEO nodded and he could see it in his lover’s eye that he was dreading him leaving supervision. He stayed still and waited for the clothes to be given to him, a cheeky smile tugging on his lips when he saw the outfit of choice. Black pants, his favourite turtleneck. Yugi helped him change, since the mere act of changing clothes had him panting in no time. Snuggled in dark clothes, he felt more like himself than he had done in days. Yugi placed his leather boots by the foot of the bed, thinking there was no use wearing them from now. He took a seat by his lover on the mattress and held his hand, gently inspecting it. There were bruises were the needles had been, staying his pale hands purple, and if it wasn’t for the situation, he could had found them pretty.

“I love you, Seto.” Yugi whispered, his eyes daring a glance at his partner. Seto was looking at the floor, his cheeks the liveliest colour he had seen them for a long while. He would be alright.

“I love you.” The CEO whispered, then slowly withdrew his hand, for the sake of laying down with his head on his partner’s lap. He had missed this, he had missed the fingers that laced into his hair and he had missed the smell of freshly washed clothes.

“What do you want to do when we get home?” Yugi smiled, letting his nails trace Seto’s nape, feeling triumphant when he saw him shudder happily.

“Sleep with you,” he started, then looked up, contemplating. “Fuck you, but only after having a really long bath.”

Yugi laughed incredulously and pressed his palms on his lover’s face. “You’re most shameless.”

“You live for it.” He pulled the hands away from his face and winked, intertwining their fingers. “I can’t wait to get something done. Anything.”

“A workaholic.” Yugi murmured, matter-of-factly, and leaned all the way down, to nuzzle their noses together, his blond strands tickling his lover’s face. They sat like that for a while then, forehead to forehead, just relishing in the other’s company. They had been together all these days, and yet, they both felt like there had been something missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok lads this took a while to update bc vacation with friends and fam haha tell me what u think!!! yugi and seto finally go full on uwu for one another and its Worth it Tm! things r still getting messier by the moment

**Author's Note:**

> Always pleased to know what you think!! Please leave comments for me, I love the feedback, keeps me going!!!


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